Planning director's request to sign larger invoices put off after board seeks legal delegation

The Wareham Planning Board on June 8 debated whether to authorize the planning department to sign departmental bills up to $25,000, a fivefold increase from the current $5,000 limit.

Planning Director Josh Farad told the board that the existing $5,000 threshold forces routine invoices to the board and complicates timely payments. "If there's an invoice above $5,000, it has to come to the planning board," he said, arguing that higher signatory authority would let the department process ordinary bills without delaying projects.

Board members raised questions about legal authority and safeguards. Carl Schultz said he could not vote for the change without documentation showing the planning board has the power to delegate signing authority: "I've repeatedly asked for author what authority the planning board has to actually approve this kind of motion," he said. Jane Gleason and Julie Moran also said they wanted written evidence of delegation and clearer guardrails before approving a larger limit.

Members discussed options including getting a formal delegation of authority, consulting the town administrator and town counsel, or crafting a motion that sets specific limits and reporting requirements. Sam Corbett suggested staff return with the requested charter/bylaw references and a proposed schedule of authorities. Farad agreed to supply supporting documentation for the board's next meeting.

The board did not adopt a permanent change at the meeting and asked staff to place the item on a future agenda after confirming the legal basis and drafting clearer language and procedural protections. The matter will return with documentation intended to protect both the department and board oversight.

The board moved on to other items after the motion failed to secure the clarifications members requested.