Purchasing director outlines priorities: local vendor rules, bid-protest changes and contract software

Adam Toolin, the town's purchasing director, told the Board of Finance Purchasing Policy Committee the office has a short list of priorities it will bring back to the committee for wording and operational changes. Toolin said the committee should expect to review recommended edits on the town's recently adopted purchasing policy and that he has already met with internal auditor Connie Saxel to align audit priorities with the purchasing office's work.

Why it matters: the purchasing policy defines when departments may buy directly, when quotes or bids are required and which purchases can be made from special lists such as the local MRO program. Toolin said he is focused on clarifying the policy so it is usable by both internal departments and external vendors and so the town can better track contracts and contract compliance.

Toolin said his top priorities include: (1) clarifying the local MRO (maintenance, repair and operations) program language, which currently contains phrasing that may be more restrictive than the general dollar thresholds in the policy; (2) strengthening the bid-protest procedure so the town has a clear, documented process if vendors challenge procurement decisions; and (3) incorporating the new human-resources ethics policy so that definitions and conflict rules are consistent across employee handbooks and procurement guidance. "The hot-button issues'we need to figure out what to do about the local MRO program," Toolin said, noting the current wording can be confusing for departments.

Toolin said he will present recommendations to the subcommittee and seek committee buy-in on language changes. He described a two-way drafting process: he will deliver proposed wording and the committee will review and help edit it. Committee member Jim Myers asked whether Toolin expected to present redlined drafts to the subcommittee; Toolin said he would provide the redline version and related presentation slides and will circulate them before the next meeting.

Training and school coordination: Toolin described planned training for town departments and for Fairfield Public Schools staff. He said Heather Robinson of the Fairfield Public Schools business office prepared a training for school admins in March that he will co-lead, and the purchasing office will offer town-side training in February and March aimed at both teaching the policy and identifying how purchasing can better serve departmental needs.

Contract management and software: Toolin said the office is evaluating contract-management products to track expirations, insurance documents and automatic price updates. He said Munis/Tyler contract-management modules and at least one other vendor have been reviewed and both offer functions to flag upcoming expirations and to populate requisitions from standing contracts. Toolin said adding a dedicated contract-management system would reduce manual work and improve post-award oversight, and he hopes to pursue a solution in the coming year if funding allows.

Emergency waivers: Toolin described a policy difference about emergency waivers. Historically the town had permitted informal concurrence for emergencies (for example by email) in order to act quickly; the town attorney advised that formal action or a clear recorded procedure is required under public-meeting rules. Toolin said he will propose language to create a limited emergency decision pathway (for example, a two- or three-person authorization panel with prompt reporting back to the committee) and bring draft language to the subcommittee.

Next steps: Toolin said he will send the redlined policy, his prior presentation slides and a short memo with proposed next steps to the subcommittee ahead of the next meeting. He asked the committee for input from Economic Development, DPW and the school business office on local vendor preferences and the MRO language before the next meeting.

Ending: Toolin said he welcomes the subcommittee's edits and will return with concrete draft language and examples of contract-management tools for the committee to review.