The Wayland C
ity Council Monday night agreed to raise spending limits for department purchases because it’s difficult these days to buy anything for less than $1,500 and get as many as three bids.
The old policy, it seems, has been getting increasingly outdated, so council approved a motion to raise the limit to up to $3,500 for department purchases of routine items and a ceiling of $10,000 if the city manager approves.
Though there was talk about increasing the ceiling to $5,000, the option of getting city manager approval made things more comfortable.
Councilwoman Tracy Bivins said she didn’t want spending to get out of hand before the council knows it.
Fire Chief Joe Miller, who indicated he believes $5,000 is a good number of a limit, told council, “In fire service, you can’t buy anything for less than $1,500.”
It was suggested that each department be able to buy up to $3,500 worth of services or equipment and not necessarily have to get three bids if a high number of goods and services were not available.
The policy will apply to the water and sewer, fire, police and department of public works budgets.
In other business at Monday night’s meeting, the council:
• Was introduced to the Little Free Libraries box it will have placed in the City Park. The box was available at the Henika District Library over the summer and now the devices will be available at the park and at the community room of Windsor Woods mobile home park. Library Board President Teresa Fulk was present to speak briefly about the boxes as a lending library exchange for children and adults.
• Was told that interim City Manager Larry Nielsen will be able to begin duties on Monday, Oct. 2, instead Oct. 9 as earlier reported. Finance Director Cherie Parrish has been serving as acting city manager since the resignation of Tim McLean Aug. 25. Nielsen is the retired manager of the Village of Paw Paw.
• Agreed on a 6-0 vote to file an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court acknowledging its $30,000 in annual revenue sharing from the Gun Lake Casino, which is in the midst of a more than decade long court case challenging its right to take land into trust to build the casino in Wayland Township. Leighton and Martin Township Boards have done the same.
• Tabled a proposal on closing City Hall over the Christmas and New Year’s holidays. Christmas and New Year’s Day both fall on a Monday, so the discussion is about whether to close City Hall the Friday before or the Tuesday after.
• Was told by Police Chief Harper that a new officer, Eric Speese, will join the local force within the next two weeks to bring it back up to full strength.
• Agreed to sell the police department’s 1999 Chevy Tahoe to the Wayland Emergency Medical Services (WAEMS) for free classes on first responders.
