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Council questions fleet plan as police shift to Ford hybrid patrols; parks trucks to be auctioned
Summary
Councilmembers asked staff detailed questions about proposals to replace parks maintenance trucks and seven police patrol vehicles, focusing on disposal of old vehicles, auction proceeds, brand familiarity and the police department’s fleet age profile.
Farmers Branch council members pressed staff on two replacement vehicle purchases on Feb. 4: a parks and recreation truck replacement package and the purchase of seven police patrol vehicles.
Kevin Reinartz, fleet operations manager, said the city intends to decommission the replaced parks trucks and sell them at auction. "We'll auction them. Decommission them, strip them out, and, make sure we get a good sale for them on the back end," Reinartz said. He told council that auction proceeds for park trucks have historically been about $10,000–$12,000 per vehicle.
On police vehicles, staff proposed buying seven Ford Police Interceptor Utilities. Reinartz and police staff said the Ford model is preferred because it is the only patrol vehicle currently offering a hybrid powertrain: "The main reason for the Fords is they are the only ones that offer a hybrid powertrain, which will save us significant amounts of fuel," Reinartz said, noting heavy idling in typical police use.
Council members asked whether mixed brands (Dodge, Ford, Chevrolet) strain the fleet shop’s ability to maintain vehicles. Reinartz said dealer support and in‑house technician training cover multiple brands and the shop has certified technicians: "My shop foreman is a Ford master technician. I'm a former GM master technician, so, we've got lots of experience and knowledge and training."
Council discussion documented fleet age and scale: staff said 12–13 police vehicles have more than 100,000 miles, and the department has 24 patrol vehicles total; replacing seven vehicles represents roughly 30% of the patrol fleet. Councilmembers suggested the city may need more than seven units given comparative patrol levels in nearby cities.
No formal vote on either purchase was recorded in the study session transcript; staff answered council questions and will proceed through the regular meeting/consent agenda process as required for purchase approvals.
