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Wayne County approves cooperative purchase of five vehicles for juvenile warrant enforcement
Summary
Wayne County approved a cooperative purchase agreement with Berger Chevrolet to buy five vehicles for the Juvenile and Youth Services Warrant Enforcement Bureau to support a growing tether caseload.
Wayne County’s Health and Human Services Committee approved a cooperative purchase agreement to buy five vehicles for the Department of Juvenile and Youth Services’ Warrant Enforcement Bureau.
Melissa Fernandez, director of Juvenile and Youth Services, told commissioners that the bureau enforces warrants and checks youth on tether. “Two years ago, we had 40 young people on tether and two officers,” Fernandez said. “Recently, we have had up to 120. Today, we have 97 young people on tether, and so we've increased our warrant enforcement team now to seven, and so we need additional vehicles so that they can continue to conduct spot checks and intervene with young people on tether.”
The purchase was presented as a cooperative (co‑op) procurement with Berger Chevrolet. Commissioner Tim Killeen questioned the listed cost and noted one vehicle’s price differed from the others. “I don't know. This two,400,000, that looks like a little bit more than we usually get in one of these amendments to me,” Killeen said earlier in the meeting when discussing budget items; he later commented on vehicle pricing: “You can't buy used cars for 30,000 these days.” County staff said one model (a Chevrolet Traverse) accounted for a higher price and that the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office requested the vehicle types; staff offered to follow up with a procurement clarification.
Commissioner Anderson asked whether county procurement staff could seek matching bids from local dealerships; county staff said that would likely require a separate procurement process because the co‑op has already been vetted by the state system, but staff would investigate whether local dealers could match or beat the co‑op price.
The committee approved the purchase request as part of an omnibus motion covering items 1–4. The motion was moved by Commissioner Monique Baker McCormick and supported by Commissioner Anderson; the motion carried by tablet vote (tally not specified).
