The Ocala City Council will vote on a contract to spend over $11 million for approximately 106 vehicles and equipment for use in various departments, including the city’s police and fire agencies, as well as its recreation and parks department, among others.
Multiple cooperative purchasing agreements for the vehicles and equipment will be presented to the council for a vote during its upcoming meeting on Tuesday, October 21.
According to staff, the city’s fleet management division is requesting the purchase of new and replacement vehicles and equipment to be used in operational tasks for city departments.
The list calls for the purchase of 32 full-sized, marked, sport utility vehicles and 12 more unmarked SUVs, for the Ocala Police Department. Those two purchases would total approximately $2,703,600.
The purchase also includes an engine, a fire rescue, a full-size SUV, and a Ford F450 with a 12-foot flatbed for the Ocala Fire Rescue.
Additional vehicles and equipment include a $25,400 bullseye aerifier for the Ocala Golf Club, bucket and digger trucks for Ocala Electric Utility, and a mini skid steer with attachments for the recreation and parks department.
In total, the purchases would cost approximately $11,366,554.
According to city staff, the vehicles marked for replacement have exceeded their useful life. The purchases are planned to reduce “vehicle and equipment downtime,” and increase the efficiency of city departments as a result.
If approved, the purchase would be made possible through a collection of cooperative purchasing agreements.
Those types of agreements are comprised of member cities and other agencies who aggregate their members’ purchasing power to achieve greater discounts through volume.
Funding for the purchases would come from the machinery and equipment accounts for the different departments.
The Ocala City Council next meets at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, October 21, at Ocala City Hall (110 SE Watula Avenue).