Committee recommends allowing lieutenant take-home cars and backs purchase of traffic enforcement vehicle

The Public Safety Committee recommended the full board consider two related vehicle items: (1) amending the employee handbook to allow commanders and lieutenants to use take-home command vehicles due to their on-call responsibilities; and (2) authorizing purchase of a dedicated traffic-enforcement vehicle, with asset-forfeiture funds suggested as the funding source.

Chief Spies said the department currently operates a fleet of about 16 vehicles (plus a UTV and a canine car) and described day-watch pressures when multiple cars are decommissioned for service. He said the take-home request stems from the lieutenants’ 24/7 response requirement and regular use of command cars for training, scene response and interagency duties. Committee members asked about mileage reimbursement alternatives and the long-term effect on fleet size; staff said modeled budget adjustments will be handled through Ways & Means and the board.

On the traffic vehicle, the chief reported the asset-forfeiture account holds over $400,000 with a recent roughly $110,000 deposit. He presented two procurement options: a Chevrolet Blazer EV (or similar) and a Tahoe gas SUV; both would require upfitting (radios, in-car computer and camera) and extra equipment. Cost estimates in discussion placed a fully equipped vehicle in the mid-$50,000s (roughly $57,000–$58,000) plus upfit costs. Committee members weighed EV charging/time-to-charge and operational availability versus gas vehicles and directed staff to pursue the procurement path preferred by the board. The committee moved and seconded a recommendation to the full board to consider purchasing the vehicle; a motion to forward the vehicle-handbook amendment to Ways & Means also passed.