Mileage a factor in police car purchase (01/03/07)

Even though a quote chosen for two new cars for the Jay County Sheriff's Department was about $200 more than the lowest quote, commissioners Tuesday afternoon agreed with the recommendation from new sheriff Ray Newton to make the purchase from a Portland dealer.

Meeting with commissioners Milo Miller Jr., Gary Theurer, and Faron Parr for the first time in his new role, Newton said the 2007 Chevrolet Impala cars should get about six more miles per gallon of gas than Ford Crown Victorias and those savings should make up the price difference in the first month.

Commissioners approved the purchase from Ken Kunkle Chevrolet-Olds-Cadillac in Portland for the purchase of two single-color vehicles at a cost of $36,362. The cost includes the trade-in of 2002 and 2003 vehicles with more than 100,000 miles each.

The low quote came from Les Wenning Ford of Fort Recovery for $36,168. Fuqua Chrysler-Dodge in Dunkirk also submitted a quote of $39,354.

"I gotta go with Ray's recommendation," Parr said about the purchase. "Plus you can get local service."

Commissioners' attorney Brad Burkett explained the lowest quote does not have to be accepted if a "good reason can be specified." The savings in the better gas mileage fit that description, he said.

Additionally Tuesday afternoon, concerning the sheriff's department, Parr said he would be meeting with 911 coordinator, Bill Baldwin, about the county's recent contract for technical service for the county's computer system with PhoeNX.

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"They don't do software, only hardware," he explained about concerns county department's may have about programs already in use.

Ralph Frazee, director of emergency management, told commissioners that equipment for local emergency departments has been received. The purchases were made with a nearly $70,000 Homeland Security grant his department was awarded in April.

Purchases included $28,000 for law enforcement radios, equipment for the county's six fire departments, Jay Emergency Medical Service, and Rescue 19.

Frazee said he had been meeting on a monthly basis with fire chiefs in the county and has learned of their needs from those meetings.

Additionally Tuesday afternoon, commissioners approved an easement request from Embarq to install 924 feet of buried cable along county road 450 East in Bearcreek Township between county roads 400 and 500 North.[[In-content Ad]]