Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Fleet And Vehicles topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board adds $900,000 for fleet maintenance shop; discussion on vehicle procurement and surplus auctions
Summary
Commissioners approved $900,000 to build a fleet maintenance shop to service larger vehicles and incoming EMS trucks and discussed changing vehicle procurement strategy and using an auction company to sell surplus units.
The Wayne County Board of Commissioners approved adding $900,000 to the proposed budget to finance a new fleet maintenance shop, citing the county’s need to service larger and heavier vehicles — including new EMS trucks on F‑450 chassis — that the current facility cannot accommodate.
During the May 20 work session staff and commissioners discussed the shop’s estimated cost, presented as $900,000 in the budget conversation, and recommended considering relocation of existing functions or construction at a site identified in discussion (referred to as 117 North). Staff noted the shop would allow the county to service heavier and taller chassis that current equipment and bays cannot handle.
Commissioners also discussed vehicle procurement choices after repeated maintenance problems with some makes. One commissioner recommended experimenting with Chevrolet Tahoes or Silverados in patrol service as an alternative to Dodge models and suggested small pilot buys (e.g., 10–15 vehicles) to evaluate durability and lifecycle cost.
The board heard a proposal to use a local auction company (RDD/R.D. Dunn) rather than the GovDeals online platform to sell surplus vehicles and equipment, with staff noting the auction company could bring higher sale prices and may make periodic auctions (e.g., August) feasible. The board directed staff to authorize auction sales on a case‑by‑case basis if commissioners approve surplus lists.
Separately, commissioners left sheriff vehicle procurement at zero in the proposed budget and asked the sheriff and finance staff to identify how many cars the agency routinely purchases and whether the current budget lines cover those replacements.
The fleet maintenance shop add ($900,000) passed by board consensus during the work session.
