Memorandum

City of Lawrence

Central Maintenance Garage

TO:	Dave Corliss City Manager
FROM:	Steve Stewart, Fleet Manager
CC:	Chuck Soules, Public Works Director Tammy Bennett, Assistant Public Works Director
Date:	11/15/07
RE:	Vehicle Purchases

Please include the following on the City Commission Agenda for consideration at the 12/04/2007 meeting:

The Central Maintenance Garage staff has two items for your information:

1. Return to vehicle purchasing on individual bids (versus cooperative bidding processes);

2. Purchase of a GEM (Global Electric Motorcar).

Background, status, and funding information are below for each of the items.

Vehicle purchasing by City of Lawrence

Background:  Returning to individual vehicle bids (versus joining the metro cooperative) provides local dealers a preferred opportunity to participate because they do not have to bid on the larger metro package, just the local package. Staff has tracked information for a one year period regarding cost differences from bidding vehicles and equipment independently instead of using the MAACP bid through the Kansas City metropolitan area.

Current status:  Staff recommends the City continue the individual bid process one additional year for continued cost evaluation. In this process, just like last year, we would bid all light vehicles in house. Heavy vehicles and equipment would also be bid in house or purchased on a cooperative contract through area dealers.

Funding:  Funding for vehicle purchases will be the same as in the past. Each department budgets for the purchases. Each purchase is evaluated for need and appropriateness of the vehicle requested.

Purchase of GEM vehicle

Background:  As part of our continuing research of alternative technologies and fuels we have briefly evaluated a used Global Electric Motorcar. These vehicles are plug-in electric only, so the only carbon footprint is that of the electricity used to recharge.

Current status:  We have determined a GEM (Global Electric Motorcar) or similar electric vehicle could be used for parking control and in some areas of plant maintenance. We have also considered the ZAP electric pickup for some of these functions. We have an opportunity to purchase a used GEM which would work for parking control and free the Ford Ranger compact pickup currently in that position. This would allow us to reassign the Ranger elsewhere in the fleet and eliminate a full size pickup.

Funding:  We are purchasing the 2002 GEM we have been evaluating for $5,277.84 delivered. The only comparable units staff could identify were $8,900.00 (2001) found online and none were found at area dealers.  The Ranger that would be replaced has used $510.28 this year in fuel. The GEM would require $ 40.97 in electricity to cover the same distance. The replacement cost of the Ranger would be $12,127.00; a new GEM would cost $10,770.00. This unit will be funded from equipment reserve and would allow us to do more in depth research and employee training on these types of vehicles.

The environmental side of this purchase would reduce our carbon dioxide output by 3,463.25 pounds if driven the same mileage as the Ranger.