Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety Equipment topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Wilkes-Barre staff seek purchases and lease for police equipment, vehicles; asset-forfeiture and grant funds cited
Summary
City staff briefed council on planned purchases of 14 Panasonic laptops and docking stations for police, a five-year lease-purchase for five patrol vehicles, and five additional vehicles funded by an LSA grant; purchases are funded primarily from the asset-forfeiture fund and an LSA grant, and the lease payments will affect the next fiscal year.
City staff told the Wilkes-Barre City Council at a work session that the Police Department needs replacement laptops and docking stations and up to 10 new patrol vehicles, and that staff are seeking authority to finalize purchases and a lease-purchase agreement.
Staff described two equipment purchases: 14 Panasonic Toughbook FZ laptops to replace units that cannot be upgraded and 14 docking stations; the laptops and docking stations were presented under a Commonwealth of Pennsylvania cooperative purchasing contract. Staff said funding for the computer replacements will come from the city’s asset forfeiture fund. “There are adequate funds in our asset foresters or fund,” staff said.
On vehicles, staff presented a five-year lease-purchase agreement with Community Leasing Partners for five new police vehicles for a total of $384,815 with an annual payment described as approximately $89,002.31; staff said the department has also been awarded an LSA grant to purchase an additional five vehicles, bringing the planned total to 10. Staff said the vehicles currently in service are in poor condition and that the lease payments would largely begin next year; staff noted a partial-year budgetary impact for the current fiscal year.
Why it matters: City staff said the Police Department has had few vehicle replacements in recent years and that replacing computers and vehicles is needed to maintain operations. Funding sources mentioned include the asset-forfeiture fund for computers and an LSA grant for half of the vehicle purchases; the lease-purchase would spread costs over multiple years.
Council asked whether the lease is a lease-to-own arrangement; staff confirmed, “Yes. It's a lease to buy.” Staff also told council that the lease payments largely will start next year and that the city may need to cover approximately one quarter of the first year’s payments from the current budget depending on delivery timing. No formal action was taken during the work session; staff said items will be presented for council approval at the regular meeting on Thursday.
