Richmond approves Sourcewell cooperative contract with Enterprise Fleet Management to modernize police fleet

Richmond — The Richmond City Board of Commissioners voted to approve a cooperative purchase contract through Sourcewell with Enterprise Fleet Management to lease and manage a major portion of the city’s police fleet.

City Manager told commissioners the city currently spends about $650,000 to $750,000 per year buying new vehicles and that the leasing plan would accelerate fleet modernization. "In the first year, we'll get a total of 16 vehicles, 12 of those being patrol vehicles, 4 of them being safety officer vehicles," the City Manager said. He described a five‑year plan that would bring the fleet current to roughly 95 vehicles and noted the leases are structured as 60‑month (five‑year) terms. Under the proposed arrangement Enterprise would handle end‑of‑lease disposition and return proceeds from vehicle sales to the city.

Commissioners asked practical questions about current vehicles. The City Manager and staff said existing vehicles could be surplused and sold, with sale proceeds returned to the general fund or used to offset lease payments. The fire/police chief and other staff members described high‑mileage units in the current fleet (some over 170,000 miles) and the expense of keeping those vehicles in service.

The contract was approved by unanimous roll call. City staff characterized the recommendation as budget‑driven and intended to provide a more predictable replacement cycle and to reduce long‑term lifecycle costs associated with aging vehicles.

What happens next: staff will implement the lease program, surplus or sell identified city‑owned units as appropriate and work with Enterprise on delivery schedules and payment flows. The City Manager will oversee the transition and report on implementation milestones to the commission as the program advances.

The board adjourned after routine closing remarks.