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Board approves purchase of four grant‑funded paratransit buses totaling $769,522
Summary
Kootenai County approved buying four replacement paratransit vehicles using existing federal grant funds and required cash match. Staff said the vehicles exceeded FTA useful life (5 years or 150,000 miles) and had recurring mechanical failures; estimated procurement cost is $769,522 with no local operating cost increase.
Kootenai County commissioners voted Jan. 13 to approve the purchase of four replacement paratransit buses using existing federal grant funds and required local cash match.
Chad Ingle of the transit department told the board the four vehicles have exceeded the Federal Transit Administration’s defined useful life (five years or 150,000 miles) and are experiencing recurring mechanical failures that raise safety, reliability and liability concerns. He said the procurement cost of $769,522 is fully covered by awarded federal grant funding and the required cash match provided by participating jurisdictions, and that the purchase would not expand service or increase local operating budgets.
Commissioners asked whether smaller repairs such as engine replacement would be preferable; Ingle said engine or transmission repairs would be costly and likely a short‑term fix and that FTA guidance favors replacement when vehicles exceed useful life. He also said one of the grants must be returned to the board for approval before all funds are available, and estimated the first bus delivery could be about 12 months after order placement.
After discussion a motion to approve the grant‑funded replacement passed (vote recorded as two ayes, one nay). Staff will return with purchase order documents and a funding agreement with ITD to complete the acquisitions.
