Poplar Bluff alters limits on purchases

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Spending for the city of Poplar Bluff will have to reach $15,000 before city council approval is needed under a new purchasing policy approved last week.

The council had approved purchases above $5,000.

The new policy is an effort to make city operations more efficient, said city manager Heath Kaplan.

In the first draft of the policy, council authority would not have been needed until a purchase reached $25,000.

"We're in no way diluting or removing authority from this council," said Kaplan.

As long as a purchase is within the budget, it already has been approved by the council, he said.

"I'm just trying to find a way to make it more efficient for your department heads to do their job without every little, single thing having to go through an advertisement," Kaplan said. "Five thousand, it is a lot of money to us, but to a government and an enterprise our size, it's not."

Mayor pro tem Jack Rushin said he agreed $25,000 was too high, and suggested the change.

Council member Ed DeGaris also said he was against the increase during the council's March 2 discussion.

Raising the limit to $15,000 will save the city hundreds of dollars in advertising costs paid to the Daily American Republic, Rushin said.

Spending above $5,000 was required to be advertised for bids. Purchases under $15,000 will not have to be advertised under the new policy.

City employees will have to seek three formal quotes for items and send emails to vendors who have registered with the city. The quotes will be kept on file.

Before the discussion, resident Joan Wessel of Barron Road asked the council to reconsider the new policy.

"Normally, you have checks and balances," she said. "That is what small government is based on. That is the foundation of why you're here. Even if it adds another meeting, another discussion ... it's important."

Spending can get out of control without checks and balances, she said.

"That's why you were voted in," Wessel said. "We want to preserve the notion that you all are watching all the money."

After suggesting the change to $15,000, Rushin said it will be easy to see whether money is not being spent appropriately.

Any unbudgeted items greater than $5,000 still should be brought to the council, said DeGaris, who had objected to the higher limits in the first draft of the proposal.

Kaplan said anything that was not budgeted would be brought back to the council.

"I think $15,000 is quite a bit better than $25,000," Mayor Angela Pearson said.

The new policy increases the amount of money that can be spent without a purchase order.

Poplar Bluff, like Cape Girardeau, had required a purchase order for items greater than $500. Under the new policy, purchase orders will be required for items greater than $1,500.