Town Council Notes

Portsmouth hires company to install town's new phone system

Rhode Island Telephone is also school district’s vendor

By Jim McGaw
Posted 9/25/18

PORTSMOUTH — The Town Council Monday night voted unanimously to award a contract to replace the town’s municipal phone system to Rhode Island Telephone, of Warwick, at a cost of …

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Town Council Notes

Portsmouth hires company to install town's new phone system

Rhode Island Telephone is also school district’s vendor

Posted

PORTSMOUTH — The Town Council Monday night voted unanimously to award a contract to replace the town’s municipal phone system to Rhode Island Telephone, of Warwick, at a cost of $50,000.

The town’s existing phone system has been in place for about 15 years. The new system is scheduled to be installed in two phases: from now until the end of the year at the police and fire departments, and then starting in July 2019 at Town Hall and the Department of Public Works.

The town had earlier put out a request for proposals (RFP) for the job and received interest from 11 companies, according to Korey Mendes of JKS Technologies, the town’s agent for the RFP. 

Four bids were opened on Aug. 4 and reviewed by a committee consisting of Mr. Mendes, Lt. Michael Morse of the Police Department, Business Development Director Richard Talipsky, Department of Public Works Director Brian Woodhead and Capt. Steven Lynch of the Fire Department. 

One of the proposals, by Integration Partners of Lexington, Mass., was deemed to be “non-responsive.” The others were:

• Rhode Island Telephone proposed a system cost of $50,000, with no maintenance costs for the first three years ($3,500 in the fourth year) and no mandatory annual recurring costs.

• Vertical Communications of Taunton, Mass., bid $47,481.47 for the system cost and $17,285.40 in maintenance fees over three years with over $800 in annual mandatory recurring costs.

• ATG Group of Providence bid $73,512 for the system cost, plus $24,045 in maintenance fees over three years and $625 in annual mandatory recurring costs.

The review committee recommended that the town go with Rhode Island Telephone, which was given the highest marks in terms of experience, technical expertise and cost. 

“Rhode Island Telephone was able to meet the considerations put forth by the town for budgetary concerns,” Mr. Mendes said, adding that company has also installed systems for the Portsmouth School Department as well as the municipalities of Barrington, Gloucester, Johnston and North Providence. 

License transfer on hold

The council, sitting as a Board of License Commissioners, continued until Oct. 22 a public hearing on a request to transfer a Class BV liquor license to the new owners of the Newport Beach Club, 195 Newport Harbor Drive.

Police Chief Thomas Lee requested the postponement because police are investigating an “incident that occurred at this location,” he told the council. He said he hopes to have the investigation “wrapped up” by the time of the hearing.

After the meeting, Chief Lee said he could not comment on the criminal investigation.

The license transfer is necessary due to a change of stockholders from Northern Waterfront Associations L.P. to Velocity NBC, LLC. Velocity NBC recently paid about $9.8 million to purchase the development along the Narragansett Bay shoreline.

New EMA director

The Portsmouth Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) has a new director.

Town Administrator Richard Rainer, Jr. told the council that Ray Perry of Portsmouth, a retired captain in the U.S. Coast Guard who’s served as a volunteer for PEMA, has stepped up to take over as director. 

He succeeds John King, who passed away Aug. 27 following a brief illness. 

Building clerk retires

Mr. Rainer announced the retirement of Denise Davis as the town’s building clerk after 24 years of service, and said the town is now looking for a replacement.

Ms. Davis is still working part-time at the Department of Public Works, Mr. Rainer said.

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Meet our staff
Jim McGaw

A lifelong Portsmouth resident, Jim graduated from Portsmouth High School in 1982 and earned a journalism degree from the University of Rhode Island in 1986. He's worked two different stints at East Bay Newspapers, for a total of 18 years with the company so far. When not running all over town bringing you the news from Portsmouth, Jim listens to lots and lots and lots of music, watches obscure silent films from the '20s and usually has three books going at once. He also loves to cook crazy New Orleans dishes for his wife of 25 years, Michelle, and their two sons, Jake and Max.