The Loxahatchee Groves Town Council on Tuesday, March 1 approved resolutions for an interlocal agreement to make purchases and sales at the Palm Beach County Thrift Store.
At a previous meeting, the council directed staff to offer town surplus equipment for sale at the thrift store. At its Feb. 15 meeting, the council discussed the adoption of a policy for the public works director to make purchases from the thrift store. This month, the council adopted a limit of $75,000 for the public works director to make purchases there.
The Palm Beach County Thrift Store, located at 2455 Vista Parkway in West Palm Beach, offers monthly auctions of surplus equipment. The store is a direct sales outlet for surplus government property from the county and its subsidiary agencies, as well as more than 10 county municipalities.
Town Manager Jamie Titcomb said Loxahatchee Groves recently purchased equipment at the thrift store.
“We’ve also talked about sending some of our equipment there,” Titcomb said, explaining that in order to do that, the town must have an interlocal agreement in place that defines the rules and regulations.
He added that the proposed agreement has a blank line to fill in setting the limit that the public works director can authorize without previously coming to the council.
“I think it’s a straightforward presentation,” Titcomb said. “It’s just an agreement to allow us to drop equipment off and sell it through them… or buy equipment through them.”
Mayor Robert Shorr said the town has been trying to sell its long-reach backhoe, the “Thing-a-Ma-Digger,” for about $90,000.
Councilwoman Phillis Maniglia made a motion to pass the authorizing resolution, which carried 5-0.
The council then discussed how much the public works director should be authorized to spend purchasing equipment.
Shorr offered $50,000 as a starting point for discussion.
“My thoughts behind that is, the last couple of tractors we talked about were in the $34,000 range,” he said.
Maniglia disagreed, saying that if the public works director needs equipment, he should discuss it with the council.
“As far as spending $50,000… or $100,000, I think it needs to come to the council,” she said.
Vice Mayor Laura Danowski asked if the public works director has a $150,000 line item in his budget, would he have to come to council for authorization? She compared the question to the town manager’s limit of $25,000 for purchases before he has to get authorization from the council.
Town Attorney Elizabeth Lenihan said the public works director would be authorized to make purchases at the authorized amount without having to come to the council, explaining that at the last meeting, he had the opportunity to purchase three pieces of equipment that would have totaled about $80,000.
“But it was a special meeting and you all couldn’t vote on it, and he was limited to one that was under the manager’s discretion,” Lenihan said.
Public Works Director Larry Peters said one of the items he was interested in buying started at $36,000.
“We didn’t get it, but it was sold for $65,000,” Peters said, explaining that if a piece of equipment is within his budget, he should be allowed to buy it, adding that he would not be bidding on equipment just to be bidding.
Maniglia said she has a problem buying used equipment without having time to vet it. “I don’t agree with giving Mr. Peters a credit card to just go buy stuff,” she said.
Councilwoman Marianne Miles asked Peters what amount he would be comfortable with.
“I was thinking $100,000, but I’ll take whatever you give me,” Peters said. “It’s only for the benefit to the town.”
Miles said the thrift store has maintenance records that can reveal problems with equipment, adding that she did not think the thrift store would want to gain a reputation of selling faulty equipment.
She asked Peters what his annual budget is, and he said it has been $150,000 for the past three years, and each year he has never spent that full amount.
Councilwoman Marge Herzog made a motion to authorize the public works director to make purchases at the thrift store for up to $75,000, which carried 4-1 with Maniglia opposed.
