Committee advances three vehicle purchases for sheriff's office and a risk-management replacement

The committee voted to advance three vehicle purchases and a replacement squad unit to the full board. Procurement staff reported the replacement 2026 Chevy Equinox (to replace a totaled county vehicle) will be paid from the risk-management fund and listed at $31,310. Two additional vehicles for the sheriff's enforcement team — a GMC Terrain ($32,009.45) and a Chevy Colorado ($40,002.55) — were presented as additions to the fleet and identified as funded from state forfeiture funds held by the sheriff's office.

Commissioners questioned pricing and whether municipal contract discounts were applied; procurement staff said purchases used a MyDeal contract number managed by LaFontaine Automotive Group and noted vehicles were purchased off the lot to meet timing needs. Commissioners also raised a late-breaking issue: a LaFontaine lot in St. Clair had a license suspension reported the morning of the meeting. Procurement staff said municipal purchases are handled through a designated municipal contact and that vehicles could be sourced from another LaFontaine location under the same contract number; final delivery issues would be resolved before the full-board vote.

Action: The committee moved to recommend both vehicle purchases and the Equinox replacement to the full board for final approval. Staff said the items would be presented at the next full-board meeting for formal authorization and payment.