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Selectboard says contractors must follow bidding rules after cemetery commission splits $9,000 mowing work
Summary
The Cemetery Commission contracted and paid Joe St. Lawrence $9,000 for mowing by splitting the work to avoid the town's $5,000 formal-bid threshold; the Selectboard said that practice must end and asked for the contractor’s insurance certificate and a written agreement.
At the April 16 meeting the Selectboard addressed a practice by the Cemetery Commission of dividing cemetery mowing work to stay below the $5,000 formal-bid threshold. Allen Hall reported the Commission had verbally retained and paid contractor Joe St. Lawrence $9,000 by parsing the work into two jobs; the Commission acknowledged the contractor had not raised pricing in five years and that a $3,000 overage would be paid from Cemetery Commission funds.
The board emphasized that parsing work from the same contractor to avoid the bidding limit should not be employed going forward. The Cemetery Commissioners agreed to obtain a certificate of insurance from Mr. St. Lawrence and to prepare a written agreement for the season. The Selectboard also reminded departments that all town-related work exceeding $5,000 will require a formal bid process and a contract with the awarded vendor.
