Police chief, town manager apologize for golf cart gaffe

PARIS — Police Chief David Verrier and Town Manager Phil Tarr each apologized to town leaders on Monday evening for failing to follow proper procedures in the purchase of a golf cart.

The board approved the purchase of the cart, but expressed misgivings about the manner in which it had been presented.  Near the end of the meeting, Tarr and Selectman Ted Kurtz exchanged emotionally-charged accusations stemming from the incident.

"It was not disclosed to you that the total cost of the cart to be purchased from Windham Rental was $1899," said Verrier, reading from a prepared statement. "I am sorry you did not have all the accurate information in that meeting. At no time did I intentionally try to deceive you, the town, or the public. It was a miscommunication, and I am sorry it happened."

The cost of the cart was $1,899, the majority of which was paid for by a $1,608 grant. When the board approved the grant on November 8, they thought that it represented the total cost of the vehicle, but the remaining $291 was actually paid for with drug forfeiture money in the Police Department budget.

On November 8, Verrier answered several cost-related questions about the cart, but the actual price tag of the vehicle was never mentioned.

"We were short $291," said Verrier on Monday. "This is the information that you should have had that night."

Verrier went on to explain the benefits of the cart, which would be used to patrol a footpath, and also to simulate drunk driving in a teen education program.

"To prevent this from happening in the future, I will provide you with as much information as possible," said Verrier.

Tarr also apologized, and said that procedures were being changed to prevent the repetition of such an incident.

"Because of this oversight, I too, also apologize for the absence of information," said Tarr.

New oversights

Tarr circulated a new form that will govern similar purchases in the future.

"This form has been prepared for any purchase the board of selectmen needs to approve," said Tarr. "When you have an experience like this, you try to make the best of it and improve. So that's what we've done.... It tells you the item to be purchased, the source of the money to pay for it, and then what votes are required by the board in order to effect the purchase. In this particular case, it's the vote to accept the grant, a vote to authorize the expenditure from the forfeiture account, and a vote to purchase the golf cart from the above revenue sources."

In another sign of the board member's efforts to exercise more influence over the daily workings of municipal employees, Selectman Lloyd Herrick asked for a new procedure governing grant applications.

If approved, board approval would be required before any town employee could respond to a request for proposal, or RFP, with a grant application.

"A request for a proposal to request for proposal?" joked Chair Ray Glover.

Herrick and Tarr agreed to work on the wording of such a policy and present it to the full board.

Selectman Ted Kurtz cast the sole opposing vote in the purchase of the cart.

"The chief has fallen on his sword," said Kurtz. "Our town manager has very deftly shifted the whole focus of all this, almost, to some kind of a piece of paper about what we're  going to do in the future, but I'm not done with the past... The only way I can put any teeth into what I'm saying here is to say I am not going to vote for this machine. You go out and you find yourself one for $1,600 and then you buy it with the grant money."

The golf cart purchase was approved in a 4 to 1 vote.