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Onley council approves 2023 police interceptor, sends upfit to competitive bid amid procurement concerns
Summary
Onley Town Council voted Aug. 5 to buy a 2023 Ford Police Interceptor for $43,644.19 and to solicit competitive bids for the vehicle upfit after councilmembers raised procurement‑policy concerns; the meeting also approved a body camera and taser purchase and ordered local price estimates for a weapon.
Onley — On Aug. 5, the Onley Town Council approved purchase of a 2023 Ford Police Interceptor for $43,644.19 and directed staff to solicit competitive bids for the vehicle upfit after councilmembers questioned whether prior vendor selections followed the town’s procurement policy.
Chief E.J. Long told the council the 2023 vehicle was available now and is being held pending approval; he said delivery could be as soon as October 2024 or may not occur until early 2025. Long also presented an upfit estimate from Nottingham & Sons LLC for $12,357.75. Council voted to send the upfit work out for competitive bids (motion by Rodney Lang; second by Daniel Bloxom).
Town Manager Jamye Salazar said some equipment purchases had been sourced at state contract pricing, which her reading of the procurement policy can exempt from a formal bid process. Several councilmembers, however, including Brian Corbin, expressed concern that items had been purchased historically without broader solicitation and urged competitive bidding. “This is how we have always done this,” Chief Long said, explaining that the department has generally used the same vendor for system additions.
Council also approved a $4,867.86 purchase for a body camera and taser for the new officer (motion by Rodney Lang; second by Bill Ferguson), with Councilmember Woody Zember casting the lone recorded no vote. Regarding an in‑car computer Long presented a $10,500.93 estimate and said the unit will require software; Salazar advised that the town’s E‑Ticket budget line was already committed and suggested Law Enforcement or Equipment Expense lines as alternatives.
On the subject of a replacement long gun, Long provided a manufacturer estimate of $1,267.95; several councilmembers objected to awarding the purchase without competitive quotes. Council instructed Long to obtain estimates from three local vendors and approved a motion, pending the town attorney’s review, to solicit formal bids for the same weapons platform already issued to town officers (motion by Bill Ferguson; second by Kate Hill).
The motions approving the vehicle purchase and related actions were recorded by roll call and carried by majority votes as reflected in council minutes.
What’s next: Staff will solicit competitive bids for vehicle upfit and gather multiple vendor estimates for the weapon purchase and in‑car computer/software costs; the council will revisit award decisions at a future meeting.
