Council approves public-safety purchases: portable narcotics tester, three police vehicles, chassis retrofit and emergency gate replacement

The Lincoln Town Council approved several Purchasing Committee recommendations to buy equipment and vehicles for public-safety and public-works use.

Councilor Shecht (speaker 4) presented four committee recommendations: a Thermo Scientific portable analytical narcotics-testing unit at $40,880 to modernize on-scene drug testing; three fully equipped Dodge Durango police vehicles procured through a cooperative purchase totaling $178,008.25; a used International chassis retrofit and dump-body installation for the Department of Public Works at $76,075 charged to the DPW capital fund; and an emergency procurement to replace a failed police-department gate with an award of up to $14,000 to City Works Corp. She reported each item had been recommended by the committee and, where applicable, funded through designated capital or police-detail funds.

Councilors moved and approved each award on the committee's recommendation; several votes were recorded by voice. Council materials identified vendors as Thermo Scientific Portable Analytical Instruments Inc. for the narcotics tester, Central Dodge and Island Tech Services with municipal-graphics vendors for the patrol vehicles, and City Works Corp. for emergency gate work.

Councilor Shecht said the equipment upgrades are aimed at officer safety and improving enforcement and response capacity. The council approved the purchases as presented and directed departments to proceed with procurement through the cited cooperative contracts and funds.