Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Equipment And Grants topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Police present UASI-funded mobile command replacement and an OTS DUI enforcement grant
Summary
Police staff told the commission they received a regional UASI award to replace an aging Tahoe with a hybrid Chevrolet outfitted as a mobile command/control platform and an OTS grant for targeted DUI and traffic enforcement; no commission vote was required for acceptance per staff.
On a presentation to the Public Safety Commission, staff described two grant awards intended to enhance local incident command and traffic enforcement.
Captain Merrill Lee (speaking on behalf of Chief Brian Solinski) said the department received a UASI (Urban Areas Security Initiative) grant award of $161,000 to procure a mobile command-and-control vehicle. Because the department’s fleet includes an older Tahoe that has “aged out,” staff proposed a 2025 hybrid Chevrolet Tahoe outfitted with redundant communications and command equipment to replace the older vehicle.
“UASI funds are designed to be spent in a regional approach with other agencies to mitigate command control issues,” staff said. The presentation noted that Tesla models were precluded from purchase under the grant rules, so staff recommended a hybrid Chevrolet Tahoe outfitted to meet local and regional partner needs. Staff said some radio heads and equipment from the old Tahoe could be repurposed temporarily but the new vehicle requires updated command-control hardware.
Staff also described an Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) grant for DUI and traffic-safety enforcement. The OTS award will fund targeted enforcement and problem‑area assessments to address traffic safety issues.
Staff requested commissioning-level awareness; Chief Lloyd and other commissioners expressed appreciation for staff securing outside funding. When asked whether the commission needed to take a vote to accept the grants, staff said the acceptance is a council matter and no commission action was required.
Ending: Staff said the Tahoe would replace the aged vehicle and the grants are intended to improve incident command capability and traffic enforcement; staff will coordinate implementation with fire and regional partners.
