What happened
In 2019, Ames approved a three-year Limble CMMS agreement.
The procurement materials also identified cleaning and updating inventory information as a separate project.
The cost of that work had not yet been determined.
Six years later, Ames again documented a three-year Limble agreement.
What it cost
2019 — Three-year agreement: $68,796
Inventory-data work: UNKNOWN
2025 — Three-year agreement: $94,374
What the amount covers
The later three-year agreement is documented as a one-time payment covering the three-year period, with setup, maintenance, backup and support described in the procurement material.
What it doesn’t tell us
The unidentified inventory-data cost is not $0.
We do not estimate it.
We also do not treat the nominal difference between the 2019 and 2025 agreements as a Limble price increase because the records do not establish sufficiently identical scope and commercial conditions for that conclusion.
Why it matters to a buyer
A necessary cost can be known to exist before anyone knows exactly what it will cost.
That makes it an open cost, not a zero-cost component.
Buyer question:
Which work required for this project has not yet been priced?
Primary evidence
2019:
City of Ames 2019 council packet
2025:
City of Ames 2025 council agenda
Sources last verified: September 2026