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Resident alleges Old Saybrook is overpaying on copier contract; administrators cite consortium review
Summary
Resident Bill Lawson told the Board of Education the district is paying roughly $21,000 a month for copiers and said consortium pricing appears to exceed MSRP; administrators said the contract was reviewed by the consortium and that exiting it would require legal review and a conflict waiver.
Bill Lawson, a resident of Old Saybrook, told the Board of Education that a Freedom of Information Act review of the district’s copier and printer agreement shows the town may be overpaying and asked the board to investigate.
"If you were to guess how much Old Saybrook spends on copiers it's 21,000 a month," Lawson said, and compared that figure to lower pricing he said is available on state contracts and elsewhere. He told the board he has worked in the industry for about 30 years and offered to share documentation showing what he called "a gross misspend of funds for copiers." Lawson said the contract was signed under a consortium "not to exceed" contract and argued the vendor's pricing appears to exceed MSRP.
Administrators thanked Lawson for bringing the information but said they could not resolve the issue in the meeting. The superintendent said the district is a member of a purchasing consortium and that the consortium reviewed the vendor contract when the district presented it. "They outlined that it was within the parameters of the contract that they approved," the superintendent said, noting that the consortium sets the contract pricing and that the vendor writes the district agreement.
When board members pressed for specifics, administrators said that challenging or exiting a consortium contract would be legally and practically complex. They said the consortium and the regional education agency share counsel and that obtaining outside legal advice would require a conflict waiver before the district could pursue a legal challenge. The superintendent said the contract term is five years and that the district is currently in year one.
Board members asked whether a town attorney could review the contract; administrators said the contract was presented to the consortium for review and concluded it did not exceed the consortium's parameters but agreed that it might or might not be the best available deal.
The board did not take formal action during the meeting. Administrators invited Lawson to email the documents to the board so staff can review the specific pricing and determine next steps.
The board will decide whether to pursue legal review or other procurement remedies at a future meeting after staff and counsel examine the documentation.
