Council confirms public‑works appointment, approves emergency boiler replacement and vendor contracts

The New Brunswick City Council approved multiple personnel and procurement items during the meeting, including advice and consent for a personnel appointment and emergency vendor payments.

The council provided advice and consent for the appointment of Victor Fair as director of public works, an appointment described on the agenda as item 19. During public comment, a resident asked the council to speak to Fair’s qualifications; the presiding officer said Fair had been acting in the role and staff provided confirmation of prior experience.

On procurement, the council approved a payment for an emergency procurement to replace a failed boiler that supplies heat and hot water to the Dignity Center at Memorial Stadium. Staff reported the boiler loop failed in December, contractors determined the boiler block had cracked and a pipe break followed; on Jan. 12 the administration declared an emergency and installation was completed Feb. 20. The emergency replacement vendor listed on the agenda is Matt Mechanical LLC, with a not‑to‑exceed figure of $117,202.02.

The meeting packet and verbatim agenda also included other contract approvals: a professional services agreement for a 2026 industrial waste analysis with 'European's environmental testing Philadelphia' (not to exceed $19,740) and a board‑of‑contract purchase for check valves for a membrane filtration system (JT Lynn representatives) not to exceed $6,057,040, plus multi‑vendor chemical supply agreements for up to $1,892,656.22 for 12 months.

Council members voted “yes” on routine consent items during roll call; the appointment and emergency procurement items were presented in the consent/contract sections of the agenda and flagged for action or ratification during the meeting.

The council directed staff to continue providing documentation and follow‑up details as requested by council members and residents.