Navasota staff recommend buying fleet vehicles this year, citing cost and control

City staff recommended the Navasota City Council purchase replacement vehicles outright this year instead of adding new units to the city’s Enterprise lease program, saying ownership would be "more economically advantageous to the city to buy the vehicles outright."

The recommendation, presented during a workshop on fleet replacement, comes as staff outlined specific vehicles slated for replacement, estimates of proceeds from selling older units and the expected purchase costs for new police, fire and public-works vehicles. Staff emphasized existing enterprise leases would remain in place and the proposed change would apply only to new purchases this year.

Director of Maintenance Services Jay Chapelle walked council members through a list of city-owned and Enterprise-leased vehicles, saying three Enterprise vehicles from 2017 are now about nine years old and likely past their lease terms. Chapelle cited value estimates based on Kelley Blue Book and Enterprise-provided figures and described a conservative auction estimate of about $104,000 for the vehicles currently identified for disposition.

On replacement pricing, staff provided dealership quotes and cooperative-contract pricing. Chapelle said two Tahoe replacements were quoted at $56,387.50 each, a subtotal the packet…