Council authorizes repairs to 2015 police Tahoe, sets temporary price cap pending another bid

The town council voted to authorize repairs to a 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe used by the police department and set a temporary spending cap while staff obtains an additional bid.

Council discussion focused on the condition of the Tahoe, which members said required both engine and transmission work. A council member argued that replacing only the transmission without a new engine would be “a waste of $5,000,” and that replacing both powertrain components would still be substantially cheaper than buying a used patrol vehicle, for which estimates discussed at the meeting ranged "between 30 and 34,000." A member stated that completing both engine and transmission work could save about $20,000 compared with purchasing a used vehicle with similar equipment.

During the discussion the council moved to authorize repairs with a temporary price cap recorded in the meeting transcript as “135” pending receipt of a third bid. Mr. Jones moved the motion and was seconded by Norris; the motion passed on a voice vote with unanimous assent. The council did not record a numeric roll-call tally for the motion in the transcript.

The council and staff noted that using the existing Tahoe would avoid having to reinstall emergency equipment and that the town’s fleet technician could perform the installation if the parts were procured. The motion instructs staff to obtain the additional bid before exceeding the temporary cap authorized by the council.

Next steps: staff will collect the outstanding bid and report back to the council; the transcript does not record the final contracted price or a specific dollar amount tied to the recorded “135” figure.