The Erosion Office’s 2005 Ford Escape has 199,379 miles and was recently determined by Fleet Maintenance to need approximately $2,000 in repairs.  The vehicle is inoperable in its current state.  The head of Fleet Maintenance does not recommend spending that amount of money to repair the vehicle due to the age and mileage of this vehicle. 

Prior to learning of the need for immediate major repairs, the plan had been to replace this vehicle in FY 2020 with the replacement funding being included in the FY 2020 Recommended Budget.  However, due to the immediate need for replacement, staff requests that the Board appropriate $19,000 in FY 2019 for replacement to be funded by an anticipated increase in environmental fee revenues relative to projections.  (This is not an increase in the fee itself, but is instead an anticipated increase in revenue from the existing fee.)

The $19,000 cost is about $3,000 less than originally expected because the supplier has a surplus of new vehicles now and is willing to reduce the price to reduce inventory.  A second vehicle is planned for replacement in FY 2020, as well, and we would like to replace that now to take advantage of the approximate $3,000 savings, as well.  This vehicle, too, could be funded by the anticipated increase in environmental fee revenues in FY 2019.   

If this request is approved, Erosion staff will work with Budget staff to ensure replacement of these vehicles is removed from the FY 2020 Budget ahead of its adoption.