Politics & Government

Purchasing Policy Changes Could Give Preference to Local Businesses

The proposed changes will be reviewed further on July 15.

Changes discussed on Monday night to the town's purchasing policy could include a section that will grant preference to local businesses on certain bids.

According to the drafted policy changes, the goal would be to give preference to a local business or vendor in an effort to support the business community in and around Windham.

Typically, the town will choose the low bidder on a given project unless there is a specific reason not to. In the current version of the policy, the town gives preference to local companies when feasible.

The new version could grant a bid award to a local business or vendor that is not the low bidder if they fall within five percent of the lowest bid and all other specifications are met.

One other change that could come to the policy relates to the dollar amount that will require the Board of Selectmen to see a bid.

As the policy is currently written, Town Administrator Dave Sullivan has full authority to approve departmental purchases of goods or services between $2,501 and $7,500. The new proposal will increase that high water mark to $15,000. The process of contacting as many vendors as necessary and obtaining at least three written quotes remains intact.

The policy changes are currently being worked on by Assistant Town Administrator and Finance Director Dana Call, Police Chief Gerald Lewis, Highway Agent Jack McCartney, IT Director Eric DeLong and Transfer Station Manager Dave Poulson.

While Monday's meeting was only a preliminary presentation, Selectman Roger Hohenberger expressed up front that he is not in favor of the leap from $7,500 to $15,000.

"It takes away from the Board of Selectmen, who are really in charge of the budget, significant control," he said.

Sullivan said that while only a handful of purchases take place between the $5,000 and $15,000 tier, the board gave the collective direction during a recent meeting at Searles School and Chapel that they want to focus on bigger visions.

The goal of the change is to save them the time of dealing with "rubber stamp" decisions on routine services required by the town.

Call said that if there were a question or the decision wasn't to go with the lowest bidder, the issue would be brought to the board.

The five staff members working on the changes looked at nearby towns of Atkinson, Moultonborough and Chester, where they determined that similar processes are used.

The policy changes will come to the board on July 15 for a formal review after staff members get the opportunity to comment on the changes internally.


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