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County sheriff given OK to purchase 3 vehicles

By Staff | Feb 10, 2013

The Faribault County Commissioners gave the Sheriff’s Department approval to purchase new pursuit vehicles.

Sheriff Mike Gormley attended the Feb. 5 County Board meeting to present the bids and request approval to order the vehicles.

The department budgeted $91,500 for the purchase of squad cars this year.

The vehicles they are looking to update are a 2010 Chevy Impala, 2008 GMC Envoy and 2008 Chevy Silverado.

They will trade in the Silverado and Envoy, and keep the Impala for jail transports and part-time deputies.

Bids were received from Nelson Auto in Fergus Falls, which is the state bid dealer, and two local dealers Hinkley Chevrolet and Fairmont Ford.

The bid from Fairmont Ford for three all-wheel drive pursuit-capable vehicles came in at $82,474 before trade allowance. After the trade allowance the cost would be $62,674.

Nelson Auto came in with a bid of $84,714.46 with no trades allowed. Hinkley Chevrolet’s bid was $93,677.27 with no trade allowance.

“Will you have to replace the interior equipment or could you utilize what we have in the vehicles you’re trading in?” Commissioner Greg Young asks.

Deputy Scott Adams explained that even if they were to upgrade the vehicle, the newer models would require the replacement of the interior equipment.

The board approved that the department accept the bid from Fairmont Ford.”We will purchase three Ford Police Interceptor SUVs from Fairmont Ford,”?Gormley says.

They will need to order the vehicles by the beginning of April in order to meet the build dates set by the manufacturer.

While Adams and Gormley were present at the meeting, the commissioners took the time to ask for an update with the department.

They reported that the numbers at the jail remain constant and the staff is working out well.

“We let one dispatcher go so we may be seeking one more part-time dispatcher,”?Gormley adds.

The commissioners’ focus shifted from the Sheriff Department to a sanitation issue.

Dale Foster of B&B?Sanitation in Winnebago came to address the issue of hauling waste to Truman.

“A lot of our customers don’t support the requirement put on us to haul all that way,”?he explains.

Before letting Foster get too far into detail, Chairman Greg Young suggested he visit a Prairieland meeting.

“Prairieland is a joint board and there are a lot of issues involved with this topic that are not always understood by everyone,”?Young says.

He scheduled a time slot for Foster to bring his concern to the Prairieland Solid Waste board on Feb. 15.

Billeye Rabbe, Prairieland Solid Waste coordinator, was present at the meeting, as well.

“I?welcome a discussion with him,”?Rabbe says.

She told the commissioners she would prepare information to answer any questions Foster will bring to the discussion at that time.

In other business;

The Planning and Zoning Commission has set a public hearing for the pipeline ordinance on Feb. 12 at 7:30 p.m.

The public hearing will be held in the Ag Center in Blue Earth.

Commissioner John Roper reported that the drug court has been working out really well so far.

“However, the family drug court is working through challenges when it comes to the family cooperating as a whole,”?he adds.

Shane Johnson shared the 2012 year-end review for the feedlot program by the MPCA.

“We completed 18 land inspections this year, which helps people know that we are out and about,”?he says.

The land inspections are a procedure that helps to make sure owners are doing everything correctly in regard to feedlots in Faribault County.