The Board of Estimates on May 21 approved payment of outstanding invoices to Univar Solutions USA for methanol used in the city’s wastewater denitrification process, the Department of Public Works told the board.

Deputy Director Matthew Garbark explained that methanol is required to meet a plant discharge permit and that the city switched from Univar to a cooperative vendor, Thatcher, last November. Garbark said delays and paperwork issues during the cooperative transition left the plant reliant on Univar product after the formal contract period ended, creating unpaid invoices the department now seeks authority to pay.

“We switched vendors… There was delays in getting Thatcher up to speed and getting the product from Thatcher,” Garbark said. “We had an anticipatory release with Univar, which we continued to use… This is a request to just pay those outstanding invoices during that period of the switch between the vendors.”

Board members asked what systems would prevent a repeat; Garbark said the problem stemmed from coordinating plant staff and procurement in the city’s first use of a cooperative contract for chemical purchases. He told the board the issues have been resolved and Thatcher is now supplying all product.

The board voted to approve the unauthorized procurement payment. The board did not modify departmental procurement policy at the meeting; Garbark said the department will coordinate internally to prevent recurrence.