4/27/1993 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Commissioner Adams asked how much of the anticipated $104,000 has been turned over to the county at this time, and Sheriff Wheeler advised that at this point they have, or will be, turning over $104,000 to the County and anticipate more by the end of this fiscal year. Commissioner Adams was concerned that this $650,000 request came through in the form of a letter as she really felt this should come through the regular budget process. Sheriff Wheeler noted that parts and repairs are costing us $3400 per car on some of the older model cars, which is roughly 25% of what it would cost to replace a car. Administrator Chandler pointed out that in arriving at the recommendation of purchasing 15 vehicles, staff took into consideration that 38 new vehicles are scheduled to be leased this summer under a lease/purchase arrangement. Those 38 vehicles plus the proposed 15 gives 53 new vehicles on line for replacements. In their recommendation they not only looked at the impact of the budget but also officer safety and that of the public because down time affects coverage and coverage affects response time. Chairman Bird felt the savings obtained through the early purchase of these cars was important, but he stressed that the most - overriding factor is the safety of the officers in their protection of the public. If he could be convinced that the primary reason for purchasing these vehicles at this time is one of safety rather than savings, he would be more comfortable in agreeing to take a certain amount out of contingencies. Sheriff Wheeler stressed that safety is the primary reason because when you have fewer cars on patrol, you cannot cover the patrol zone effectively. Every time a car is off the road for repairs, it cuts down on the protection of the citizens of the county, and officers certainly would be safer driving new vehicles. Commissioner Eggert shared the same concerns as Chairman Bird. She recalled that at last year's budget sessions when she asked several times why there were not any patrol cars in the budget, she was told (or lead to believe, anyway) that all the cars had at least 3 years on them. However, nobody said that they were safe and efficient years. She realized that we cannot begin to cover this whole amount, but a lot of it does need to be put in next year's budget and treated openly. She could go with the purchase of 15 vehicles on an emergency basis because she felt this is a really serious problem. Commissioner Eggert commended Director Baird for pouring over the figures and coming up with this recommendation. 25 PR BOOK $9 F-AcF:376 2 7 199