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Templeton committee urges select board review of vendor credit practices after Avishon line-of-credit flagged
Summary
Members said a vendor line-of-credit arrangement (Avishon Hardware) functions like a credit card and may not follow town purchasing policy; the committee voted to notify the select board and request corrective action.
The advisory committee raised concerns about the town’s purchasing and credit-card practices after members discovered a line of credit used by a department at a local vendor that functions like a credit card.
Members said some department heads rely on lines of credit for fast purchases—particularly for weekend events—and that those arrangements may bypass purchase orders and the AmEx account typically used for town purchases. The committee specifically discussed an Avishon Hardware line that appears to be used by the recreation department and noted that department officials and some select-board members said they were unaware of the arrangement.
The committee voted unanimously to draft a letter to the select board explaining that the Avishon line-of-credit practice does not conform to the advisory committee’s purchasing policy and to request that the select board direct the town administrator to review and rectify any nonconforming vendor-credit arrangements.
Members also discussed broader procurement improvements, including creating preferred-vendor lists, consolidating purchases (office supplies, uniforms) and whether the town should hire or task the town administrator with procurement oversight. They agreed to revisit the preferred-vendor policy at the March joint-budget meeting.
