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Board hears police request to use existing loan for additional patrol vehicles
Summary
The police department asked the Evansville bond bank to use an existing loan originally for vehicles and equipment to fund additional patrol cars; board accepted the change as an informational update and asked clarifying questions about installed utility equipment.
The Evansville Local Public Improvement Bond Bank heard a police department request to use an existing loan for purchase of additional patrol vehicles rather than equipment.
Board staff said the loan language permits financing "police cars and equipment," and the police sought to shift the draw to fund only vehicles. "We thought we could do this without modifying the loan that we have because it does say police cars and equipment," a staff member said when introducing Captain John Clay, who addressed the board.
Captain John Clay explained the department had not drawn the earlier loan for all equipment and instead planned to acquire additional vehicles. He also noted each vehicle will include one utility item — the in‑vehicle camera system. "To be completely transparent, the utility contract that was originally approved to be part of the initial funding, each one of these vehicles will have the one utility equipment that's installed in there. That's our camera," Clay said.
Board members discussed whether a formal motion to approve the change was required. One board member said no motion seemed necessary and that the board should be aware of the tweak. Staff confirmed they would proceed under the existing loan document and the board did not take a separate formal vote on the change.
The item was presented for transparency; no loan modification or new authorization was recorded.
