Advisory Committee members moved on Aug. 7 to ask the select board to consider creating a preferred-vendor list and to review the town's procurement policy.
Advisory Committee member Liz, who requested procurement records and analyzed the year's vendor payments, said the committee found dozens of vendors and only partial procurement files for contracts over the state's $10,000 threshold. She recommended the town create a short list of preferred vendors for frequently purchased items such as uniforms, office supplies and vehicle maintenance.
Why it matters: Committee members said a preferred-vendor approach plus clearer procurement rules would strengthen oversight and demonstrate the town has done due diligence to get best value for taxpayer dollars.
Liz presented a 222-page vendor report and described examples of multiple suppliers for the same goods ("there's at least 4 different uniform companies in here"), as well as individual vendors used repeatedly for high-dollar purchases including vehicle maintenance and equipment. She asked who should lead the vendor-list effort and suggested the town's certified purchasing officer, the town administrator or the select board could be responsible.
Committee members cautioned that a preferred list needs guardrails. "If we give someone exclusive status and budgets are tight, they may raise prices knowing they'll get the work," Bev said. Members proposed a process: (1) identify high-churn categories (uniforms, office supplies, common parts), (2) have a purchasing officer compile price comparisons and (3) draft preferred-vendor policy language for select board review.
Action: The committee voted to produce a draft preferred-vendor proposal and procurement-policy recommendations for discussion at the September meeting. The motion to create a draft for the next meeting was made by Liz and seconded by Bev; vote recorded: April yes; Liz yes; Jacqueline yes; Bev yes.
Members noted some contracts were not posted online until requested, and asked that contracts older than two years be reviewed to confirm they still meet the town's needs.