BOARDMAN Vehicle-buying effort hits a roadblock

Trustees would like to buy the cars locally, but the process is complicated.
By JOHN W. GOODWIN JR.
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
BOARDMAN -- The police chief has thrown cold water on a plan to buy vehicles from a township dealership.
In a letter to trustees and Administrator Curt Seditz, Police Chief Jeffrey Patterson explains why buying vehicles outside of the state's cooperative purchasing program is not prudent. The chief said he discussed the situation with a representative from the state's cooperative purchasing program.
"The process for accepting bids from nonparticipating vendors all but defeats the administrative efficiencies offered by participation in the cooperative purchasing program," Patterson said in the letter. "It also contains a number of pitfalls for impropriety or at least the appearance of impropriety."
The township normally participates in the state's cooperative purchasing program -- a program that looks across the state for the lowest bid prices and offers those prices to participating political subdivisions. Trustees, however, said they would like to buy the cars locally, but the process is complicated.
Donnell Ford on Market Street is hoping to supply the township with a car and truck for the fire department. The township was set to buy the vehicles from out-of-town dealerships as part of the state's program.
Seditz has suggested that the township only buy vehicles in the state purchasing program.
Four criteria
According to Patterson and Jeff Westhoven, chief administrator at the state's office of procurement services, the township must meet four criteria for buying outside of the cooperative purchasing program. The township must be a member of the program, must solicit a bid on a vehicle with the exact same specifications as on cars in the program and not reveal the state's price, must receive a bid lower than the state's available price, and must maintain records of the purchasing process.
Westhoven said the township can buy outside the program and still avoid the bidding process if the four specifications are met or the township can forgo the program and buy vehicles in accordance with local law, which usually requires a bidding process.
Earlier purchase
A purchase of six cruisers from Donnell Ford earlier this year had its share of problems.
In another letter to trustees, Patterson said the cars did not have spotlights or the pre-wiring harness for the lights, siren and radios -- equipment that is included in the state specifications. The lack of the equipment means the cars were not an exact comparison to those purchased through the state program, therefore violating one of the four stipulations for buying outside the program.
Chris Flynn, a representative of Donnell Ford, said the company can be responsible only for supplying the specifications requested by the township.
Patterson, in correspondence with trustees, also said an employee of Donnell Ford at the time the six cars were purchased argued with a mechanic about removing the Donnell trademark from the cars. He said no commercial advertising should be on township vehicles.
Trustees have tabled the purchase of the cars to allow themselves time to review the situation.
jgoodwin@vindy.com