Vernon council reverses course, approves emergency purchases ahead of snowstorm

After tabling a resolution Jan. 15, the Vernon Township council held an emergency meeting to ensure the township had the resources needed to get through the Jan. 25 snowstorm.

Resolution 26-12, as included in the Jan. 15 reorganization meeting agenda, granted authority to the town’s qualified purchasing agent to approve certain purchases from certain vendors in excess of the $53,000 bid threshold to continue the daily operations of the town.

The resolution was crafted for specific times of need.

For example, if the Department of Public Works needed to restock fuel and rock salt or make repairs to a truck prior to a snowstorm it would not have to go through the traditional bid process if the need amounted to over $53,000 because that would not allow the department to secure the resources in time for the storm.

During a discussion on the matter, Business Administrator Tina Kraus told the Township Council the town would not be able to continue everyday operations if the resolution wasn’t passed.

However, the council, led by new Council Vice President Sandra Ooms, unanimously tabled the resolution, citing a need to examine town expenses.

“I have concerns there is no cap on this,” Ooms said at the meeting. “We need to know how everything is spent. One of my goals is to understand the spending and monitor it and this [resolution] does not allow this to happen.”

When it became clear that public works may need purchasing flexibility if forecasts of a major snowstorm on Jan. 25 panned out, the council unanimously passed an amended resolution at an emergency meeting on Jan. 21, which Ooms could not attend. Unlike the original resolution, which included a wide array of vendors, the amended resolution contained only vendors that provided products needed during a snowstorm such as fuel, rock salt and vehicle repair.

During public comment after the Jan. 15 vote, former councilman Brian Lynch had harsh words for the council.

“This was foolish,” the former council president said. “You don’t question these things at a [reorganization] meeting. You question them at budget time...This could have put the town into a dead stall. Ask questions of yourselves, not of the material in front of you. It was wrong to table this.”

Councilman Carl Contino, elected last fall, said the council’s intention was never to put the town at risk.

“Our intention was to provide financial oversight and scrutiny of the budget,” he said. “We met for an emergency meeting where we approved any vendors necessary for the upcoming snowstorm.”

At the Jan. 29 meeting, the council granted authority to the qualified purchasing agent to approve certain purchases over the $53,000 bid threshold from the remaining qualified vendors included in the original resolution that was tabled.

Once the dust settled, Ooms said the town should have approved the vendor list prior to January and never had to schedule an emergency meeting ahead of the storm, regardless of any actions taken by the council Jan. 15.

“I am sorry that the town was not prepared,” she said.

Mayor Anthony Rossi took umbrage with Ooms’ remark.

“Councilmember Ooms, a former council member, should have known that this resolution is standard practice and required of all municipalities,” he said. “Tabling the vendor list had nothing to do with fiscal oversight. The township receives fuel on a regular basis, particularly during winter storm operations. Fuel is critical to daily municipal functions, supporting all Fire, EMS, DPW, and BOE vehicles and machinery. Any delay jeopardizes operational readiness and public safety.”

Contino said he was satisfied with how things played out.

“The DPW did an incredible job keeping the people of Vernon safe and we are beyond grateful for them,” he said. “After going through due process, I was satisfied with the answers I received and felt comfortable voting for the resolution at the [Jan. 29] meeting.”