Trenton council questions Stacy Park contracting, seeks resolution after $195,000 in work

Trenton city council members on March 18 pressed administration officials for details about contracting, permitting and future work at Stacy Park after staff disclosed roughly $195,000 in payments to vendors for clearing and vegetation removal.

Council members raised procurement and oversight questions during a presentation and question-and-answer period led by Paul Harris, interim director of recreation, and Maria Richardson, the city's business administrator.

Harris said the parks department solicited proposals from vendors that do business with the department and that accepted proposals were entered into the city's purchasing system. "The process is we receive proposals, and those proposals are considered. And then if they're accepted, they're entered into the system, and then a purchase order is issued," Harris said.

Councilwoman Williams pushed for dollar details and for whether the council had been asked to approve the vendor contracts. Harris said the total paid to the contractor(s) for the work described as Stacy Park clearing and vegetation removal was $195,000 and that "each individual item" was under the $44,000 bid threshold. He added the average per smaller work order was about $19,000.

Richardson explained state and local procurement limits and compliance checks. She told the council that pay-to-play rules trigger at $17,500 for certain…