Pryor Creek Council authorizes 10‑vehicle lease for police, financed from freed lease payments and surplus sales

The Pryor Creek City Council voted to authorize the city to enter into a lease agreement with Enterprise Fleet Management, using the Sourcewell cooperative purchasing contract, to acquire 10 new police vehicles: five Chevrolet Silverado 1500 crew‑cab, 4x4 units designated for school resource officers, and five Ford Explorer utility all‑wheel‑drive patrol vehicles.

Council members moved and seconded the authorization during the Oct. meeting; the motion was approved by the council.

Council and staff described the measure as a budgetary and operational change meant to reduce rising maintenance costs and to improve resale/value retention on replaced vehicles. City staff said the leases will be paid from the police vehicle capital outlay account (account referenced during the meeting as 444455418) and will be offset in the first year by funds freed as existing leases conclude plus the proceeds from planned surplus vehicle sales.

City and vendor representatives outlined the financing and implementation details. Vehicles will be ordered through Enterprise, upfitted locally at MEU (an upfitting shop in Pryor), and delivered to the city; the city will be billed only when vehicles and associated aftermarket work are delivered. Staff said 50% of aftermarket upfitting cost will be due up front when a vehicle is delivered; lease payments themselves begin on delivery. The leases discussed are 60‑month terms, and staff said the plan includes an ongoing evaluation to expand vehicle leasing across other city departments if the program proves effective.

Officials cited an existing balance in the capital outlay account that will contribute to the first year’s payment and noted one previously paid‑off lease that frees $64,661.90 into that account. Staff also said the planned sale of roughly a dozen surplus units (the estimate mentioned during the meeting was about 14–15 vehicles) will further offset costs in year one.

City staff said the move should lower maintenance spending (older vehicles were generating high repair costs) and make future vehicle budgeting more predictable by spreading replacement costs over lease payments rather than large, irregular capital outlays.

The council approved the authorization and directed staff to proceed with contract execution under the Sourcewell cooperative purchasing arrangement. The city will post contract documents and purchase orders and return to council if additional departments are later included in the leasing program.