City staff presented several routine but materially important procurement requests during the finance committee meeting.

Public Works requested a one-year, as-needed purchase contract for new tires with Sullivan Tire for $140,000. Staff said the department maintains a limited on-site inventory only for garbage-truck steering and rear tires and sends vehicle tire work to the vendor as needed.

The police department recommended splitting a two-year, $110,000 parts contract among multiple vendors (Action Auto Parts, Elliott Auto Supply, East Coast Terminals, Raps/NAPA and O'Reilly's) so mechanics can source parts quickly and minimize vehicle downtime. Council asked about vendors that quote percentage discounts off list price rather than static net prices; police staff said the fleet manager will check daily online list prices as needed before ordering.

Water department staff requested authorization to retain Beta Group for engineering services for the State Street booster pump station in the amount of $83,775 and noted delivery timelines were delayed earlier by material shortages.

Public Works asked to enter a five-year lease with Pitney Bowes under a Sourcewell cooperative contract for a mail machine at a total cost of $59,563.80. Staff said the new unit supports certified/e-delivery workflows and may reduce postage processing time.

Committee members asked practical questions about inventory practices, how the city will reconcile percentage-based vendor pricing, the handling of delays in pump-station materials and whether alternative vendors were considered for the mail machine (staff said Sourcewell had performed the competitive procurement). The items were moved through the committee process for floor consideration or as consent-calendar items consistent with usual procurement review.