Cleveland Heights committee debates ordinances to buy five hybrid police vehicles and Seagrave fire engine; staff to supply missing exhibits

Council members and staff in Cleveland Heights spent the Feb. 24 Committee of the Whole meeting discussing proposed budget adjustments to purchase a Seagrave fire engine and five 2025 Ford utility hybrid police interceptors and pay for their upfitting.

The committee discussed three ordinance numbers referenced in the meeting: Ordinance 30-20-25 (described as a repeal-and-replace or amendment to a previous budget ordinance), Ordinance 31-20-25 (purchase of five 2025 Ford utility hybrid police interceptors) and Ordinance 32-20-25 (upfitting those five vehicles). Meeting participants repeatedly noted that the legislation referenced an exhibit that was not available to the body at the time of the discussion and that the council needed a detailed spreadsheet listing appropriations and the cash position before any final vote.

Multiple cost figures were cited during the discussion. At one point a speaker referenced $1.6 million for a Seagrave fire pump truck; later in the meeting staff identified a proposed capital line of $1,140,000 for the fire engine in department 7301 (fire administration). For the police vehicles, recorded figures included $237,704.40 for the purchase of the five Fords and $73,533.85 for the first stage of upfitting, with an earlier combined total discussed as $311,238.25 (a revised figure) and another subtotal cited as $319,209. The meeting record shows these figures were being reconciled and that a revised document was circulated by staff for council review.

Finance staff told the committee that Fund 402 (finance capital projects) had a balance of $8,821,232 as of Sept. 30, and that any purchase would still require a fiscal officer certificate to confirm funds are available before procurement could proceed. Members also noted the potential procurement risk if the council delayed action: the pricing for the vehicles/ordering ability was described as time-limited, with speakers saying vendors were extending pricing only through the end of the month.

Council members and staff agreed to work together to produce the missing exhibit and an amended ordinance draft. One council member offered to update an existing temporary budget spreadsheet and to input the new numbers so staff could print the required exhibit; staff asked that the council identify which specific lines should be changed. The committee identified department and fund codes discussed during the meeting: department 7301 for fire administration and department 7201 for police administration, with capital line entries to be added to Fund 402.

No final vote on the ordinances was recorded during the Committee of the Whole meeting. Council members noted the item had been discussed previously in finance committee meetings and in the 2025 budget process, and the body scheduled additional review at a finance committee meeting the following day at 3:00 p.m.