Henniker Select Board waives bid rules, approves purchase of transfer-station vehicle

The Henniker Select Board voted unanimously March 18 to waive part of the town’s procurement bid process and authorize purchase of a transfer-station vehicle from Hillsborough Ford.

The motion to waive procurement policy bid process number 3 and to authorize the purchase was made during new business after transfer-station staff summarized the vendor outreach and bidding results. Mr. Bumford told the board that sealed-bid outreach to nine vendors produced only two sealed responses and that a later Hillsborough Ford quote closely matched an earlier informal estimate. "Hillsborough Ford was the one that I originally had talked to and they had the best bid price, at 76,439," Mr. Bumford said during his presentation. The motion text recorded in the meeting packet and read aloud lists the purchase price as $76,351; the board approved the motion (recorded in the transcript as "motion carries. 5 nothing").

Why it matters: Board members said the sealed-bid process produced limited responses and that direct dealer quotes can sometimes produce better pricing for specialized equipment. Town staff told the board they had also solicited quotes from local dealers and from the state bid list but that follow-up is often needed to secure bids.

What the board approved: In one motion the board waived the procurement-policy bid step and authorized procurement of the transfer-station vehicle from Hillsborough Ford. The board separately authorized offering the town’s existing 2015 Ford F-350 at the State of New Hampshire surplus auction once the new vehicle arrives; that motion also passed unanimously.

Board discussion and clarifications: Town Administrator Diane and procurement staff described outreach steps and acknowledged imperfections in the sealed-bid response rate. Diane said the town had sent requests to vendors on the state bid list and to known local vendors and recommended follow-up by phone or hand-delivered packets when necessary. One board member asked for clarification of the final contract price; the motion as read aloud referenced $76,351 while the presenter cited a $76,439 quote. The transcript shows the board approved the motion despite that discrepancy; town staff should be consulted for the final contract amount and purchase order.

Next steps: Staff will proceed to execute the purchase and take steps to list or send the traded vehicle to state surplus auction after receiving the replacement.