Brewster council approves police vehicle purchase

BREWSTER – The city council met in special session last Friday, Jan. 17, to approve a real deal and purchase a new vehicle for the Brewster police department. Well, almost new. The new vehicle is a 2018 Ford Explorer Police Interceptor all-wheel-drive (AWD) four-door SUV that meets the department’s requirements and is compatible with its current vehicle fleet.
Chief Marcos Ruiz located the vehicle in Portland, Oregon, where the seller, Columbia Motors, specializes in marketing used vehicles to small municipalities like Brewster. The price for the low-mileage rig is among its most attractive features. Offered at $17,491 the Interceptor will cost the city less than half the $38,804 the city paid for a new 2017 Interceptor two years ago.
In lieu of making a special trip to Portland to inspect the vehicle, the city’s chief mechanic requested photos of those components of the vehicle that he would have examined and was able to confirm through the photos that the vehicle met with his approval.
A special market condition in compliance with the state RCW 39.04.280 exempted the city from competitive bidding requirements that would normally apply and allowed for the purchase of the vehicle.
Council members agreed that the purchase was “in the best interest of the public health, safety and welfare of the citizens of the city,” according to a resolution drafted for the purchase. Council members John Housden moved, and Manny Hurtado seconded that the city approve the purchase.
The city had budgeted for the purchase of a new police to meet current police department needs this year so the acquisition of the vehicle the chief found will result in significant savings for the city.
Chief Ruiz recommended that the council further approve a $2,500 bumper-to-bumper warranty that will address any future repairs that might be needed. Council members Tim Rieb moved, and Hurtado seconded that the warranty coverage also be purchased.