The Skamania County (WA) Fire Protection District No. 3 built a new fire station, noting that it saved district taxpayers at least a half million dollars.
However, in the process the district ran afoul of state bidding and selection laws, according to a finding issued by the Washington State Auditor's Office.
Audit Findings: The following are some of the problems noted by the auditor:
- The Fire District did not comply with RCW 39.80 in the selection of an architect, but used the services of a volunteer firefighter without publicly advertising for the work.
- The Fire District split the construction of the fire station into smaller components, thus not triggering the $20,000 threshold for competitive bids required by fire districts on public works projects.
- The Fire District did not maintain adequate records to support its procurement procedures.
Creativity vs. Compliance: As a public agency, the Fire District failed to temper its creativity with its obligations to ensure compliance with state law.
Mike Purdy's Public Contracting Blog© 2012 by Michael E. Purdy Associates, LLChttp://PublicContracting.blogspot.com
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