Council continues procurement process discussion
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By Allison Cross
The City of Monticello is still working to develop a procurement process to protect the city’s
finances without making anyones job more difficult or causing any unnecessary delays.
In January, council members opened the floor for discussion on a new process with the 1st
reading of a procurement ordinance. The new ordinance would raise the city’s bidding
threshold from $2,500 to $40,000. After lengthy discussion, they agreed to raise the limit to
$10,000 instead.
However, Mayor Kenny Catron said in last week’s council meeting that there have been
questions and they needed to discuss it again.
Council Member Allan Hopper said he spoke to the Kentucky League of Cities (KLC) and he
said it was their opinion that $10,000 was too low.
“(They) said the bid process is expensive and drawn out,” Hopper continued. “A go between
there would be to ask for competitive quotes.”
Hopper’s recommendation was to get competitive quotes up to $40,000 to help make sure
the money is being spent adequately. “That may be a compromise,” he said.
Council Member Allen Vaughn asked for them to add some checks and balances on top of
getting competitive quotes.
Fire Chief Gabe Heatherly gave an example of the bidding process slowing down projects.
Heatherly said if they were able to get the quotes for their recent sign purchase instead of
going through the bidding process, the sign would have already been up. Instead, he said it
may be a month or two before the sign can be constructed.
“At that low of a limit ($10,000) you are going to be hamstrung on a lot of small purchases,”
Heatherly said.
He continued that with quotes up to a certain limit it would make getting resources a more
seamless process.
Council members agreed to change to the language in the ordinance to get quotes with
documentation on purchase requests on anything above $10,000 and the bidding process
would take place at $40,000.
CITY TABLES ETHICS ORDINANCE DISCUSSION
The city decided to table discussion on the ethics ordinance because they want to take
their time with it. Vaughn and Hopper both expressed that they are not ready to pass the
ordinance yet.
“It’s too important for us to mess this up,” Vaughn said.
Hopper said he also spoke to KLC to get more information on the ordinance and why they
needed it. He told the council that someone from KLC offered to come and speak to them
about the ordinance.
“It’s so big that we don’t just need to throw it out there and do it,” Hopper agreed.
Vaughn said this process is part of being officially certified as a “city of ethics.”
OTHER BUSINESS
– Council went into executive session per KRS 61.810 (1) (f) which states: (1) All
meetings of a quorum of the members of any public agency at which any public
business is discussed or at which any action is taken by the agency shall be public
meetings, open to the public at all times, except for the following: (f) Discussions or
hearings which might lead to the appointment, discipline, or dismissal of an
individual employee, member, or student without restricting that employee’s,
member’s, or student’s right to a public hearing if requested. This exception shall
not be interpreted to permit discussion of general personnel matters in secret.
– Council agreed to accept the bid from Starline Signs in Albany for the fire
department sign. It was the only bid they received and came in over their intended
budget at $29,977.26. They received a grant for $26,000. Heatherly said the
department is going to cover the rest with a donation they received specifically for
the sign.
– Board appointments include Alison Pyles to the City-County Fire Commission and
Leslie Lester to the Monticello-Wayne County Industrial Development Authority
Board.
– During his department report, ABC Investigator Dustin Thompson said they will
soon provide substance abuse educational sessions to students in the local school
system.
– Thompson also reported that he plans to work with Heatherly to look at any burned
out buildings within the city to determine if they have been boarded up properly or
if they pose any danger.
– Vaughn asked the city to support him in efforts of trying to bring the Vietnam Wall
Memorial to the Monticello City Park. He said he is coordinating efforts to get the
wall here by 2026 and will work with the Parks and Recreation board and with other
local organizations on the logistics.
Present at the meeting were Mayor Kenny Catron and Council Members Allen Vaughn,
Jamie Reagan, Knox Bertram, Tim Pyles, Allan Hopper, and Cody Dishman. The Monticello
City Council meets on the 2nd and 4th Monday of each month at 6 pm at City Hall.
Meetings are open to the public and broadcast live on the city’s Facebook channel.
