Committee endorses soliciting RFPs for insurance and audit services; favors negotiating HVAC contract extension

Finance staff recommended soliciting requests for proposals to replace expiring insurance‑broker and audit service contracts. Board members emphasized public transparency and competition but also the need to avoid service disruptions; the committee voted to move the insurance‑broker and audit‑services RFP recommendations to the full board.

The committee then heard from an HVAC vendor (S10) who said equipment and materials costs rose sharply since 2020 and that, if fully exposed to market bidding today, bids could be significantly higher. Board members debated whether to extend the incumbent contract with modest, negotiated increases (3–5% in year one) or to seek new proposals, which could show immediate spikes. Given timing and concern about sudden 20–25% price increases in the market, the committee authorized staff to negotiate an extension with the incumbent (Star) and moved that authorization to the full board for approval.

What happens next: the full board will consider RFP authorizations for insurance and audit services and a staff recommendation on HVAC contract negotiation at its next meeting.