The Board of Estimates yesterday approved $5.6 million in consulting contracts and nearly $1 million in EWOs (extra work orders) at a public meeting lasting four minutes.

Convened at 9:14 a.m., the meeting was adjourned at 9:18.

Deputy Comptroller B. Harriette Taylor announced that Council President Bernard C. “Jack” Young was voting against a $1 million consulting agreement with KCI Technologies Inc., but did not say why.

Otherwise, the board – consisting of Young, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, Comptroller Joan M. Pratt, Solicitor George Nilson and Public Works Director Alfred H. Foxx – passed all of the spending items without discussion.

The KCI contract calls on the Sparks engineering company to assist the Department of Transportation in road resurfacing and reconstruction projects “to include, but not limited to, on-site project support, GIS [geographic information systems] support and tasks for various capital improvement projects.”

Two related “on-call” consulting contracts requested by the transportation department were also approved.

Johnson, Mirmiran & Thompson was awarded $1 million to assist the agency on the same resurfacing contract, and $2 million handed to Whitman, Requardt & Associates to conduct a “constructability review” that includes such matter as “addressing contractor request for information, change orders and claim analysis and inspection,” according to the board’s agenda.

The Whitman, Requardt contract lasts three years or until the $2 million fee is exhausted, “whichever occurs first.”

Other Spending Items

The following items were approved by the board:

• $1.5 million “on-call” consulting contract with Moffatt & Nichol to provide storm water study and engineering design services for the bureau of water and wastewater.

• $101,778.71 “on-call” consulting contract with Rummel, Klepper & Kahl (RK&K) to provide field inspection services on two utility projects at the bureau of water and wastewater.

• $931,568 in EWOs (extra works orders) on five existing city contracts. The largest EWO ($570,000) was paid to Spiniello Co. for “urgent need work” on water and sewer lines. R.E. Harrington Plumbing & Heating got $82,237 for added work on two contracts for sewer repairs and replacement, and Fru-Con Construction was handed $119,567.84 extra for denitrification filters at the city’s Patapsco Wastewater Treatment Plant. (Fru-Con’s overall contract with the city at the waster treatment plant currently stands at $116.9 million.)

• $400,032 to Scheidt & Bachmann USA for the maintenance of “revenue control equipment” at 16 parking facilities owned by the Parking Authority for Baltimore City. This is a renewal of two prior maintenance agreements.

• $2.68 million in federal highway funds to Machado Construction Co. to provide physical improvements near city schools as part of a four-year “Safe Routes to School” grant.

• $1,872,410 in federal funds to Associated Black Charities Inc. to provide fiscal accounting reports and review of subgrantees for the city Health Department.

• $494,960 in federal funds to InterGroup Services to “provide services associated with carrying out legislatively mandated functions of the Baltimore Eligible Metropolitan Area (EMA) Ryan White Part A Planning Council.” The contractor will conduct “a needs assessment and obtain input on community needs and priorities” as part of a comprehensive plan for delivery of HIV-related services in Baltimore.

• $900,000 to Jesco Inc. for parts and service for John Deere equipment used by the Department of General Services. The contract is a renewal of a 2007 contract for $600,000. Jesco Co. has received a total of $2.85 million from the city under this contract.

• $770,000 to seven companies to provide hand and power tools and related hardware for city agencies. This contract is an add-on to a $450,000 contract approved by the spending board last February, making the total contract amount $1.22 million. The additional funds “are needed to meet the city’s ongoing requirements under this contract,” according to the board agenda. The main suppliers approved yesterday are Fastenal Co. ($200,000), Mill Supply Co. ($200,000), Suburban Sales & Rental Center ($120,000) and Snap-On Industrial Division of IDSC Holdings ($100,000).

• $343,569 to Beltway International LLC to purchase three tandem-axle tractors and a lowboy trailer for the Department of General Services. This contract is an add-on to a $242,880 contract approved six months ago by the spending board, making the total contract with Beltway International worth $586,449.