The Board of Aldermen on Tuesday agreed to pay a consultant to oversee construction and repair projects using an as-of-yet unspecified chunk of $74 million in federal COVID relief funds coming to the city. The Board of Education signed off last week on the hiring of KBE Building Corp. to oversee its infrastructure spending. On Tuesday, the Board of Aldermen followed suit. While detailed spending plans aren’t expected until spring at the earliest, officials expect to spend much, perhaps most, of these federal funds on building and infrastructure upgrades. Mayor Neil M. O’Leary pushed to hire an oversight firm. O’Leary said he wants to ensure spending satisfies federal requirements. The contract charges hourly, rather than a lump sum, with rates for KBE staff running between $88 and $200 per hour. There is no estimate of what costs might tally eventually. The contract runs to Jan. 31, 2023, but with four one-year options to renew, that can see it extended to Jan. 31, 2027. The KBE contract was approved in a 10-1 vote, with only Republican Vernon Matthews objecting.
https://www.rep-am.com/local/localnews/2021/10/13/waterbury-to-pay-construction-consultant/