Ocala council approves Bearcat armored vehicle and approves multiple contracts and budget amendments

Ocala — At its April 1 meeting, the Ocala City Council approved the purchase of a Linco Bearcat armored vehicle for the police department and adopted a budget resolution to fund the purchase, and the council cleared a slate of contracts and budget amendments affecting public safety, utilities and public works. The Marion Cultural Alliance gave its annual report to the council during the meeting.

The council voted to buy the Bearcat armored team transport for $378,165 and to appropriate the funds from the city's infrastructure sales surtax reserve. Police Chief Mike Balkin told the council the vehicle would replace an older mine-resistant armored vehicle the department acquired under a federal program 11 years ago and that the MRAP is heavy, difficult to operate in the city and limited in permissible uses under federal restrictions. "This vehicle operates all over the place, and way more, I think, than most folks imagine," Balkin said, arguing the Bearcat is better suited for SWAT operations and officer safety.

A councilmember questioned the cost and frequency of use, asking, "it just seems like a lot for a vehicle that's hardly, if ever, used." Balkin replied that the city and county SWAT teams execute frequent high-risk search warrants and that his department has increasingly performed simultaneous operations with the sheriff's office. He added the existing MRAP is not ideally configured for those missions and that the Bearcat has features (for example, gun ports) the MRAP lacks.

The council approved the purchase and the matching budget resolution by roll call. The council also approved the police department's request to continue using a Florida alternative-source agreement to buy ballistic vests from Federal Eastern International, in an amount not to exceed $198,215.

Nut graf: The Bearcat purchase and associated budget appropriation were the most prominent items of substantive debate at the meeting, where council members weighed officer safety and interagency operations against the cost of a specialized vehicle. The meeting also advanced several operational and infrastructure projects by approving contracts, renewals and budget amendments across departments.

Other substantive items and votes ("Votes at a glance"): - Bulletproof vests: Council approved continued use of the Florida alternative-source agreement to purchase ballistic vests from Federal Eastern International, not to exceed $198,215. (Approved by roll call.)

- Linco Bearcat armored vehicle and budget appropriation: Approved the utilization of the GSA multiple-award schedule to purchase a Linco Bearcat armored vehicle for $378,165 and adopted budget resolution 2025-141 to appropriate infrastructure surtax reserve funds for the purchase. (Approved by roll call.)

- Contract renewals and procurements: The council approved multiple operational contracts and amendments across departments, including: - Renewal with American Pipe and Tank, Inc. for wastewater tanker truck services (staff recommended approval). - Contract with All Web's Enterprises Inc., partially funded by a cost-share with St. Johns Water Management District (staff recommended approval). - Additional expenditures and task work orders with Black & Veatch Corporation for National Flood Insurance Program CRS verification and stormwater storage analyses (staff recommended approval); budget resolution 2025-142 adopted to fund the work. - First amendment and additional expenditures under a piggyback agreement with Utility Metering Solutions LLC to replace remaining RF water meters with cellular-based meters (about 2,700 meters) (staff recommended approval). - Amendment No. 1 to agreement LPA 0709 to add $250,000 to purchase a 1,200-kilowatt emergency generator and associated equipment for Water Treatment Plant No. 2, and adoption of budget resolution 2025-143 to accept the funds. - Multi-award and single-vendor contracts for mowing, clearing and related maintenance (Southern Lawn Care Mid Florida Inc.; Native Tree of Central Florida Inc.; Pure Cuts Lawn and Maintenance LLC) to support drainage retention areas and code enforcement cases. - Sourcewell cooperative purchases and a renewal of Microsoft services for one year (year 2 of a three-year contract), with an annual cost cited in staff comments of about $303,545. (All items above were presented with staff recommendations and were approved by the council by roll call.)

Presentation: Marion Cultural Alliance Jay Bailly, executive director of the Marion Cultural Alliance, presented the organization's annual report. Bailly described the Alliance's role as the designated local arts agency that manages the Springs City Center for the Arts ("The BRIC"), distributes grant funds and serves as a fiscal agent for city arts initiatives. He said the Alliance has distributed direct support dollars and raised roughly $2.75 million primarily from private donations, sponsorships and bequests; he cited a restricted fund balance in an endowment and annual fundraising targets needed to sustain grants and operations.

Bailly highlighted recent grants and projects including funding for the Fort King Festival, the Silver River Festival and the Riley Marion Theatre of Ocala, and noted the Alliance's artist grant program and educational programming. He said the Alliance acts as a convener, provides training for artists, and serves as a hub for local arts activity.

Other reports and items - The council received routine departmental reports: the police chief reported a 17% decrease in reported significant crimes compared with the prior year and increased field interrogations and traffic enforcement; the fire chief gave a biweekly response update, including recent vehicle fires and a rollover crash on I-75. The city manager noted an April strategic planning session. - The council opened the meeting with proclamations for April 2025 as Water Conservation Month and Fair Housing Month. The Fair Housing proclamation referenced the Civil Rights Act of 1968 and the Fair Housing Act language included in the mayor's text.

What happens next - The Bearcat purchase will be processed under the General Services Administration purchase schedule and the city will implement the contract/receipt and placement of the vehicle with the police department for SWAT operations. - Several projects approved at the meeting will proceed to contracting and implementation under the departments that presented them (police, public works, water resources and procurement). Staff presented the items with recommended next steps and asked the council to approve the associated appropriations where required.

Ending: The council did not hold public comment on most consent and contract items; one resident asked clarifying questions about the Bearcat procurement and funding. The Marion Cultural Alliance will continue outreach and fundraising; the city will provide details on timelines for contracted projects through staff reports and subsequent council agenda items.