Franklin council adopts purchasing policy limiting total contract terms to five years and removing strict 48-hour emergency cap

The Village of Franklin trustees on Monday adopted an amended procurement and credit card policy that clarifies limits on contract duration and refines the administrators emergency purchasing authority.

Council discussion focused on two principal changes: language that prevents the village administrator from exercising contract option years so that the total contract duration (base term plus options) exceeds five years without returning to council, and the removal or relaxation of a proposed 48-hour cap on emergency purchasing authority. Staff presented the draft and summarized the councils earlier comments; trustees debated whether a fixed short limit (48 hours) was practical for emergency responses and discussed alternatives such as 72 hours, five days, or no fixed limit.

A staff member who helped draft the policy told trustees the language documents where the administrators authority comes from and memorializes prior council comments, including a proposed emergency purchasing exception. "I captured everybody's comments that were made that I found you guys had a consensus on," the staff member said while pointing to specific sections that grant emergency authority and permit exercising option years for contracts previously approved by council.

The chair and several trustees urged clearer language to ensure that the "whole contract and the options" do not exceed a five-year duration without council approval. "So the whole contract and the options ... can't go beyond 5 years without coming back to us to renew whatever the ..." the chair said in explaining the intended limit.

After discussion, a trustee moved to adopt the procurement/purchasing/credit card policy as amended to reflect the councils clarifications; the motion was seconded and the council adopted the policy by voice vote. Trustees asked staff to refine the draft language (for example, explicitly stating that any contract exceeding five years in total must be returned to council) and noted the policy will be used to guide contract renewals and emergency actions going forward.

The council also discussed related operational items, including a clarification that administrator exercises of option years on council-approved contracts are permitted when consistent with the five-year total limit, and agreed to remove or strike the narrow 48-hour automatic expiration so the body and staff can better manage emergency responses. The resolution and revised policy language will be finalized by staff based on the meetings instructions.

The council then moved on to administrative items, including scheduling consideration of applicants for an open trustee seat; the meeting adjourned after a motion and voice vote.