Tulsa World: BA district sets new procedures

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BA district sets new procedures

By SARA PLUMMER World Staff Writer
Published: 9/28/2008 2:10 AM
Last Modified: 9/28/2008 2:49 AM

New vendor rules apply to blanket purchase orders

An investigation into a Broken Arrow Public Schools' vendor this summer has led to changes in district procedures.

Broken Arrow Superintendent Jim Sisney began looking into the practices of the district and Air Assurance, a heating and air-conditioning company that does business with the district, earlier this year.

Sisney filed a defamation lawsuit Sept. 3 against Mike and Narissa Rampey, owners of Air Assurance; Douglas Hudkins, a Broken Arrow optometrist; and three unnamed co-conspirators.

Sisney claims that the defendants accused him of stealing from the district after he questioned Air Assurance's business dealings with it.

A representative from Hudkins' office said he had no comment, and calls to the Rampeys were not returned.

Gary Richardson, Sisney's attorney with the Richardson Law Firm, said he is still waiting for the three defendants to file an answer. The next step will be discovery, at which time the co-conspirators may be named, he said.

Ann Wade, Broken Arrow Public Schools' chief financial officer, said questions were raised last spring about Air Assurance when invoices came in after expenditures were frozen so that the staff could start the budget process for this school year.

"We had to lower some other purchase orders to pay this vendor," she said, adding that this is not an uncommon practice.

Wade said new procedures are in place, especially when it comes to blanket purchase orders, which are awarded every year for a certain amount to a specific vendor for services that are needed throughout the year, such as heating and air- conditioning maintenance and repairs. Invoices are subtracted from the blanket purchase order.

In the past, when a vendor exceeded the amount of a blanket purchase order, the school board could approve an extension.

Now, a blanket purchase order can only be extended once in an emergency, and normally the purchase order is closed and a new one is opened, Wade said.

"Before we pay anything, we verify that services are rendered," she said.

Department directors also will run a budget report every month to check the balance of blanket purchase orders.

For the 2007-08 school year, the original blanket purchase order for heating maintenance and repair was $216,750, and it was increased to more than $294,000.

For services of more than $50,000, bids are required. Wade said Air Assurance had not gone through the bid process for the blanket purchase orders.

Air Assurance stopped services to the school district in May after Sisney started the investigation.

"Air Assurance was coming in after hours, and work was not verified," Wade said, adding that work is now done during regular work hours or when a staff member is there.

Sara Plummer 581-8465
sara.plummer@tulsaworld.com By SARA PLUMMER World Staff Writer

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