Mayor Responds To Concerns Raised At Transit Commission Meeting

As you may recall sparks flew at the December Transit Commission meeting when commission member Dan Wilson voiced concerns that Valley Transit has not been following the correct procedures when making purchases of Covid-related supplies. Mr. Wilson ended up resigning from the commission in response to the situation.

I reached out to Mayor Woodford about the concerns Dan Wilson raised and this is what he had to say:

“I asked staff to review the questions raised in the meeting to ensure compliance with the City’s purchasing policy has been maintained, as was stated in the meeting.

“As was stated and discussed in the meeting, the purchases in question at the 12/8 meeting of the Transit Commission were made on an emergency basis. The Procurement Policy provides an exception to the general purchasing requirements and allows for the procurement of goods or services under certain circumstances. (1) City of Appleton is operating under an emergency proclamation due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and (2) the purchases in question were made in the interest of the immediate health and safety of the public and Transit employees – either of which on its own would meet the conditions to be considered an emergency purchase.

“The Finance Director has concluded that the purchases in question were made in compliance with City policy.

“It should also be noted that the purchases were made with funds provided by the Federal CARES Act and, as such, will be subject to independent audit for compliance with requirements under the U.S. Office of Management and Budget Compliance Supplement and State Single Audit Guidelines issued by the Wisconsin Department of Administration.

“Compliance with relevant procurement and spending policies is an area of emphasis for us at the City. It has been a priority in our administration of all COVID-19 related spending, which is, in part, why we have a dedicated Finance Section of our Emergency Operation Center. This will continue to be something we focus on as we manage our way through the pandemic.”