Plan Commission seeks three leased vehicles for zoning compliance staff; council asks about EVs and mileage

The Toledo-Lucas County Planning Commission requested council approval on Jan. 21 to obtain three leased vehicles through the enterprise lease program for zoning compliance specialists.

Tom Gibbons, director of the Toledo-Lucas County Planning Commission, said staff initially tried to repurpose existing city vehicles but maintenance and downtime were prohibitive and that a leased fleet would cover four inspectors with three vehicles. Josh Lewandowski, manager of zoning compliance, said the department is targeting compact SUVs — specifically Chevrolet and Jeep models were cited — and that the lease term under discussion is five years with an annual allowance the department set at 20,000 miles to avoid overage charges.

Council members pressed staff about vehicle sourcing and electric-vehicle options. Councilman Serrante asked about vehicle makes; Lewandowski said the department is prioritizing American-made vehicles and mentioned Chevy and Jeep Cherokee models. Councilman Martinez and others asked whether electric vehicles had been considered in light of a prior council resolution favoring EVs; department staff said one of the three vehicles under consideration is fully electric but noted charging infrastructure constraints and that garage chargers are limited. Staff said they are coordinating with other departments on future infrastructure investments.

Councilwoman McPherson asked about mileage and overage costs; staff said they increased the mileage cap from 10,000 to 20,000 miles per year to avoid costly overage charges. The administration requested the committee recommendation SAP in the record; no final lease authorization vote was recorded at the agenda-review session.