Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board authorizes up to $59,421 to buy and outfit replacement police patrol vehicle
Summary
The board approved authorization to purchase a dealer vehicle and pay to outfit it after a wrecked patrol car; staff said insurance should reimburse roughly $31,000 but timing and salvageability of equipment could affect net cost and schedule.
The board voted to authorize purchase and outfitting of a replacement police patrol vehicle after one department car was wrecked. The motion authorized spending up to $59,421 to acquire a ready vehicle at a local dealer and have it equipped for patrol use.
City staff told the board a Landmark dealership has a 2025 Durango that matches the department’s specification and could be taken into inventory quickly. Staff estimated the Landmark purchase price at $39,421 and said installation and re-equipping would cost about $20,000, producing a staff estimate of roughly $59,004.21 in total costs; staff also said the city expects the insurer to reimburse about $31,000 for the wrecked vehicle after an evaluation of salvageable equipment.
Why it matters: staff argued the ready dealer vehicle would avoid long manufacturer lead times and keep the department from being short-staffed on patrol vehicles. Board members pressed for clarity on insurance reimbursements, towing and evaluation costs, and how long the vendor Defender would take to reinstall equipment if parts must be ordered.
During discussion, staff cautioned that actual out-of-pocket exposure depends on how much equipment can be salvaged from the wrecked car and how quickly Defender can schedule the evaluation and installation. Staff said they would submit towing and equipment-evaluation costs to the insurer as part of the claim. A staff member summed the cost math for the board: "The total cost of the car is $39,421 at Landmark" and installation is estimated at $20,000, yielding approximately $59,004.21, while insurance reimbursement was estimated at about $31,000.
On funding, staff proposed using available savings in the public safety building project (a roughly $55,000 gap in that project) to cover any shortfall needed to outfit the vehicle. Board members discussed that the budget line (referred to as GRS) had limited room but should cover the expense if necessary.
Motion and vote: Speaker 6 moved to authorize purchase and outfitting up to $59,421; Speaker 3 seconded. The chair called the question, recorded a voice vote and declared the motion carried.
Next steps: staff will have Defender evaluate the wrecked car to determine what equipment can be salvaged, submit salvage and towing costs to the insurer, and instruct Landmark when to release the vehicle if the board’s authorization is required. The meeting then moved to other business and adjourned.
