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Home My WebLink AboutCOUNCIL - AGENDA ITEM - 11/05/2013 - FIRST READING OF ORDINANCE NO. 155, 2013, APPROPRAgenda Item 9 Item # 9 Page 1 AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY November 5, 2013 City Council STAFF Mike Trombley, Police Lieutenant SUBJECT First Reading of Ordinance No. 155, 2013, Appropriating Prior Year Reserves in the General Fund for the Purchase of a Police Scene Response Vehicle. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The purpose of this item is to authorize and appropriate funding for a Police Scene Response Vehicle from the Camera Radar Reserve Account. Police Services currently uses a repurposed 1993 transport van, previously retired from Dial-a-Ride in 2003, for the primary response to major vehicle collisions within the city. The purpose of this vehicle is to provide full capability for securing a large traffic collision scene, marking lane closures, establishing detours, and creating a safe work zone for both officers and citizens. The current vehicle being used is well beyond its useful service life, and needs to be replaced in order to maintain quality scene response services by the City. Police Services has identified a suitable replacement vehicle, manufactured by Lynch Diversified Vehicles. The new scene response vehicle will cost $171,476, to be funded from the Camera Radar Reserve account. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends adoption of the Ordinance on First Reading. BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION Police Services currently uses a repurposed 1993 transport van, originally retired from the Dial-a-Ride fleet in 2003, for primary response to major vehicle collisions within the city. The purpose of this vehicle is to provide broad capability to secure a large traffic collision scene, mark lane closures, establish detours, and create a safe work zone for both officers and citizens. Additionally, the vehicle carries a portable generator, portable lighting, scene reconstruction equipment, and a work space for officers to interview involved parties and coordinate the scene. The current vehicle is well beyond its useful service life, retired from the Dial-a-Ride fleet with almost 200,000 miles and ongoing maintenance issues. It was repurposed in March 2004 as a stop-gap to address existing police needs until a long-term solution could be determined. While a permanent replacement vehicle was considered as long ago as 2006, other budgetary priorities took precedence at the time, leading to increased maintenance investment over the following years to keep the response vehicle mission capable. The last three years have seen a significant increase in vehicle maintenance issues, and consequently, a decrease in availability and productive use of this vehicle to respond to scenes. The current vehicle frequently will not start when needed, leading to gaps in the ability of Police Services to deliver equipment to major collision investigations or other scenes. Officers often make frequent trips to the vehicle when it is inoperable to retrieve needed equipment as an investigation unfolds, or simply to have needed equipment available at the onset of the investigation, resulting in increased closure time of roadways and lost productivity. Frequently, an engine and crew from Poudre Fire Authority are also requested to provide Agenda Item 9 Item # 9 Page 2 lighting to the scene in order to overcome the limitations of the existing vehicle, at the expense of taking an engine and crew out of service for the duration of the event. Police Services has identified a suitable replacement step-van style vehicle manufactured by Lynch Diversified Vehicles (LDV) and seeks to fund the purchase of the new vehicle, based on specifications subjected by LDV, for $171,476. The purchase will be funded from the Camera Radar Reserve account. Police Services and other City departments have historically requested funding from this account for capital acquisitions that impact traffic safety within the community. While the LDV vehicle will be used in multiple scene command and control roles across the organization, as is the current scene response vehicle, 90% of its use will be dedicated to major traffic collision scene response, providing necessary equipment to secure the scene, relieve existing officers, and investigate the incident. Based on a proven step-van design, the new LDV vehicle is capable of providing all of the functionality of the existing vehicle and carrying capacity for the assorted equipment currently deployed, as well as having on-board capability to provide night scene lighting without having to draw resources away from Poudre Fire Authority. The layout of the LDV vehicle reflects a minimalist, right-sized approach that still meets the mission needs of Police Services. With a design similar to commercial service vehicles, the layout incorporates seating for a small workstation and equipment storage in the cargo area, shelter from the elements, and a separate rear utility storage area for portable traffic control signs, 100+ traffic cones, roadway lighting, etc. (Attachment 1). In addition to being more efficient, this design increases employee safety by separating and securing hundreds of pounds of equipment away from the driver. Such equipment was previously stored throughout the van, including immediately behind the driver. The features of the new vehicle will minimize the risk of secondary injury in the event of an impact. Additionally, it is anticipated that, due to its layout and design features, the new vehicle will be a more useful scene response/command vehicle for special events and other scenes that don't warrant deployment of the larger Interagency Command Post shared with Poudre Fire Authority. The anticipated service life of this new vehicle is 20 years. FINANCIAL / ECONOMIC IMPACT The LDV vehicle will be procured via City purchasing regulations and procedures to maximize the purchasing value of public funds following a fair and equitable process. An advertised bid was conducted to determine the low, responsible, and responsive bidder that met the required vehicle specifications. ATTACHMENTS 1. Scene Response Vehicle Layout - 1 - ORDINANCE NO. 155, 2013 OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS APPROPRIATING PRIOR YEAR RESERVES IN THE GENERAL FUND FOR A POLICE SCENE RESPONSE VEHICLE WHEREAS, since 2003, Fort Collins Police Services has used a 1993 transport van, retired from the Dial-a-Ride fleet, for primary response to major vehicle collision scenes within the City; and WHEREAS, the purpose of the scene response vehicle is to provide broad capability within a single vehicle to secure major traffic collision scenes, by marking lane closures, establishing detours, and creating a safe work zone for officers, emergency personnel, and citizens; and WHEREAS, the scene response vehicle has reached the end of its useful life and needs to be replaced in order to maintain effective and timely police collision scene responses; and WHEREAS, without replacement of the vehicle, additional resources will need to be committed by the City and Poudre Fire Authority in order to maintain safe and effective responses to major vehicle collision scenes in the City; and WHEREAS, the estimated cost to replace the vehicle is approximately $171,476; and WHEREAS, funds to purchase a replacement scene response vehicle are available from unappropriated Camera Radar Reserve funds; and WHEREAS, Article V, Section 9, of the City Charter permits the City Council to appropriate by ordinance at any time during the fiscal year such funds for expenditure as may be available from reserves accumulated in prior years, notwithstanding that such reserves were not previously appropriated. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS that there is hereby appropriated for expenditure from prior year reserves in the General Fund the sum of ONE HUNDRED SEVENTY ONE THOUSAND FOUR HUNDRED SEVENTY SIX DOLLARS ($171,476) for the replacement of the Police Services police scene response vehicle. - 2 - Introduced, considered favorably on first reading, and ordered published this 5th day of November, A.D. 2013, and to be presented for final passage on the 19th day of November, A.D. 2013. __________________________________ Mayor ATTEST: _______________________________ City Clerk Passed and adopted on final reading on the 19th day of November, A.D. 2013. __________________________________ Mayor ATTEST: _______________________________ City Clerk