News

Ask The Monument

A citizen wanted to know more about the two MSAD 15 Middle School office chairs and the secretarial footrests that were purchased for a total of $3,500. MSAD 15 Director of Finance Terry Towle has previously answered two rounds of questions about that purchase, and these last questions represent a follow up.

Did MSAD 15 have spare chairs at any other location?

What happened to all the chairs donated by Sanmina-Sci? [Sanmina-Sci was a large company in Augusta that ceased its operations and then-Finance Director for the MSAD, Brian McDonnell, secured a large amount of office furniture for free on behalf of the District.]

If the chairs were deemed a necessary expenditure after having exhausted the above avenues, then were they put out to bid, were quotes sought, or were they simply ordered thru a catalog?

Who signed the Warrant order?

Mr. Towle: I do not know of any spare executive or managers chairs that would have been available. We do have office chairs in storage at the Pennell building that were evidently donated. I looked them over last Spring and found one decent one that I am using for my office chair. Most of those chairs were in questionable shape. I am not aware of the Sanmina-Sci donation, but they could be those mentioned above or they could have been absorbed throughout the District.

I don't believe that the bid process was used. The items were purchased from Fisher James company out of Biddeford. Quotes from other vendors may have been requested.

Beginning July 1, 2005 all school furniture and equipment will be purchased by the Central Office business department using either a formal bid process, written quotes from a minimum of three vendors or through comparative shopping, whichever is the most appropriate.

I will have the actual warrant pulled from the file to see who signed, but will tell you that it was two of the following School Board members [who are on the Board's Finance Committee], Carmel Morin, Sharon Vandermay, Alan Rich or Tami Plummer (alternate).