Council waives bidding requirement, approves purchase of two hybrid police command vehicles

Oak Harbor City Council unanimously approved Resolution 25-11 to purchase two hybrid sport-utility command vehicles for the police department, Mayor Tim Nichols said during the meeting.

The council adopted the resolution after a presentation by Police Chief Tony Slowick. “We’re here to talk about resolution 25-11. It’s a purchase of police vehicles. Currently, the police department has two vehicles that are due for replacement,” Chief Slowick told the council, describing two aging department vehicles — a 2002 Nissan Maxima and a 2008 Subaru Outback — that no longer meet service needs.

The resolution finds a “special market condition” and waives the competitive-bidding requirement under the cited statute so the department may acquire two Toyota hybrid Land Cruiser models the department judged to meet operational and maintenance criteria. Slowick said the vehicles meet agency priorities for hybrid/all‑wheel‑drive capability, local maintenance availability and a 12‑year useful life. Outfitting the vehicles with emergency equipment will be paid from the police operating budget, Slowick told council members.

The council heard no public comment on the item before the vote. Council Member Stuckey moved adoption of the resolution; a member seconded the motion and the body voted to approve it during the workshop. The council’s action record shows the motion passed on the voice vote called at the meeting.

The resolution text presented to council cites the state procurement exemption for special market conditions, and the chief told council staff had labeled the purchase “special market condition” because hybrid SUVs of the required specification were in short allocation statewide and available only for a limited time.

Council members who spoke in the discussion expressed support for replacing the older vehicles with reliable hybrids. The chief answered questions about maintenance, allowable exemptions, and where the vehicles would be serviced locally.

The council did not specify an exact delivery date at the meeting; Slowick said funding for the replacements is available in the current biennial fleet replacement account and the department will return if additional budget adjustments are needed.

The ordinance implementing Resolution 25-11 will be executed by the city once vendor paperwork and department procurement steps are completed.