Protocols slowing down the Augusta Regional Airport’s (AGS) purchases proved a key topic to a bustling discussion during the Aviation Commission’s monthly meeting, Thursday morning.
Commission Vice Chairman Michael Cioffi launched the dialogue by noting the current procurement process in which AGS staff are required to secure bids from three different vendors by phone before purchasing an item more than $1,000, thee bids in writing, by mail, for purchases costing more than $5,000.
The ensuing back and forth among the aviation commissioners unveiled some considerations about how to address the resulting inefficiency.
Board member Dan Troutman mentioned that the airport is the “largest organization within the government that’s not an authority or something which has their own rules,” and posited that, while AGS and the commission should be subject to the municipality’s protocols and oversight, they should be allowed some procedural leeway for some purchasing decisions, preferably organized by the airport staff and presented to the Augusta Commission.
“It can all be audited. Make sure they hold their feet to the fire, absolutely, but to delay a job 60 to 90 days just to have two or three extra levels of oversight?” said Troutman. “I don’t know what the answer is. The staff knows better than we do, but it needs to be an encompassing document.”
AGS director Herbert Judon can theoretically authorize up a purchase of up to $25,000 under stringent emergency protocols, estimates that the administrative levels of AGS spends “50% of its time” with bureaucracy.
“That is time that is not productivity towards all these things that we want to do,” said Judon.
Nancy Williams, contract compliance administrator with Augusta’s procurement department, weighed by saying the protocol conforms with the Augusta code, and notes that all orders that cost more than $10,000 must undergo the bidding process.
Although it’s great, those orders greater than $10,000 do require a seal fed process, and that is through the commission. It’s mandated to see you just a code.
“It’s not up to procurement to sit there and allow the airport anything different than what the Commission has mandated for us to do… What you have on the board is what the code is at this time,” said Williams. “Now I would recommend, essentially, you do maybe have a meeting with the new director [Andy Penick], give some of the insight on the problems that you are having, and see if we can’t try to move forward.”
The discussion ended with no official decisions made, but the commission encouraged AGS staff to organize proposals for how to streamline purchasing process to ultimately present before the Augusta Commission.
“Now might not be the exact right time, but we need to get in writing exactly what you think is going to be most efficient,” said Cioffi. “And when the right time presents itself, we’ll push it.”
Skyler Q. Andrews is a staff reporter covering business for The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
