Staff is requesting that the City Council approve the purchase of 11 vehicles from Duval Ford of Jacksonville, FL, through the State of Montana's Term Contract; 9 for the Police Department and 2 for the Fire Department. 

The State conducts an annual competitive bidding process for law enforcement vehicles.  Pursuant to MCA 18-4-402, local government agencies are permitted to take advantage of the cost savings realized by the State's purchasing volume.  Cooperative purchasers benefit by purchasing through State term contracts through cost savings, expedited order processing, as well as insuring all procurement is completed via proper procurement rules governed by the State and City.

For 2019, the State of Montana awarded the vehicle contract to Duval Ford of Jacksonville, Florida.  Through this cooperative purchasing contract, Duval Ford shall provide the State of Montana with six (6) Ford Sedan Police Interceptors at $27,533 each and three (3) Utility patrol vehicles at $31,623.68 per unit.  Utility vehicles are Ford Explorer SUV's and will be utilized by the K-9 officers in order to accommodate the dogs in a better environment than a sedan. Vehicles that are being replaced will be sold at the City's annual auction.   

The Fire Department is purchasing two (two) Utility vehicles to be used in their fleet. 

Local car dealers cannot compete on price due to the volume purchased through the State contract and the pricing that dealers receive from manufacturers for fleet sales.  Staff is requesting that the City Council approve the purchase of 11 vehicles from Duval Ford of Jacksonville, FL;  6 sedans at the price of $27,533 each, 3 police utility vehicles at $31,706, and 2 fire utility vehicles at $31,623.68, for a total cost of $323,563.36.

The City Council may:

• Approve the purchase of the 11 vehicles from Duval Ford, or
• Not approve the purchase of the 11 vehicles.  Present patrol units will be retained and operated beyond their recommended replacement life, which will result in more down-time and higher repair costs.   

The nine police replacement vehicles are budgeted in the FY 2019 Equipment Replacement Fund budget.  The two fire vehicles are included in the FY 2019 Fire Department budget because they are being added to the fleet through a Supplemental Budget Request.

Staff recommends that the City Council approve purchasing 11 vehicles from Duval Ford for a total cost of $323,563.36.