Council told vendor Gen Electric bid will support traffic-signal maintenance; members ask for past-year spend and inspection schedules

The city's engineering division presented Resolution 26-178, a contract award to Gen Electric for maintenance and repair of Jersey City traffic signals and related devices, with a total bid near $3.1 million and the option to renew for two additional years.

Drew Banghart said Gen Electric has serviced the city's signals for the 10 years he's worked for the city and that the vendor provides emergency response and routine maintenance; he added Gen Electric typically arrives on site within roughly an hour of notification and operates a 24/7 hotline for police and field crews.

Director Kaplan explained national best practice calls for annual inspection and certification of traffic signals to confirm life-safety components such as conflict monitors are working; the proposed contract would support inspections, reactive repairs and routine preventative maintenance.

Council members asked whether the $3.1 million represented a maximum authorized amount or an expected spend and requested historical annual spend figures, current temporary encumbrance ($600,000) details and evidence of vendor performance. Banghart said the $3.1 million is a not-to-exceed contract ceiling and that staff would provide prior-year award and expenditure figures and sample maintenance reports that accompany vendor invoices.

No final award vote was recorded in caucus; staff said the item remains on the agenda for formal consideration.