Councilors press for more transparency on land purchases and stricter adherence to bidding rules

Councilors used the retreat to air concerns about the town’s purchasing practices and transparency around land purchases and bids.

On land acquisition, members recalled the South River Road purchase and debated whether the council should proactively seek parcels or publicly invite input before confidential negotiations. Several councilors favored holding public hearings for major purchases even if the charter permits nonpublic negotiations, while staff noted limited available funds (roughly $900,000 in a design/build account) and the legal mechanics of purchase‑and‑sale agreements.

On procurement, Councilor Besske reviewed the purchasing policy thresholds and said written quotations from three qualified vendors are required for purchases between $7,500 and $20,000, with formal bidding above that. She expressed concern that recent heavy equipment procurements (two trucks) and some road contracts drew few bidders; staff said the trucks had bids for chassis and negotiated outfitting with a past vendor and that the public works department has updated SOPs to email past bidders and improve outreach. "If we're not getting bids, then we should absolutely be questioning what we're doing and how can we change that to make sure we're getting bidders," a councilor said.

Next steps: staff will review purchasing practices, consider policy clarifications to strengthen vendor outreach (emails/website RFP blasts), and provide guidance to ensure exceptions to written‑quote or bid requirements are documented. Councilors signaled interest in more transparent public notice for major land purchases and in bringing any charter or policy changes forward for public discussion.