At the Board retreat in August, District staff discussed the possibility of purchasing vehicles. The conversation regarding this purchase was also discussed during a recent budget ad hoc committee with the suggestion to request full Board input.

As part of working through the integration process with Snohomish County, it was decided that the County will not be taking the District’s depreciated vehicles into their system. The District currently has a total of 46 vehicles with nine being brand new 2022 editions and the other 37 vehicles (Exhibit A) fully depreciated with some as old as from 1999. The County has a fleet department that maintains all County vehicles. Other County departments pay the fleet department a monthly fee per vehicle and once the vehicle is depreciated, the fleet department purchases a replacement vehicle using those funds. If the department decides to add new vehicles to their total fleet, it will pay the upfront cost plus the additional monthly cost.

With the staffing increases over the last year, staff have identified that if all employees were in the office/field working, they would need a total of 62 cars. Leadership has been able to shuffle cars around while employees have been on vacation/sick. Some of these positions have also been vacant or employees have had to drive their own vehicle with reimbursement of mileage.

Staff are requesting $1,500,000 of the unreserved fund balance to replace the 37 fully depreciated vehicles. The  number of vehicles purchased could be higher depending on the availability of the vehicles being delivered to the District by the end of 2022. The nine new vehicles were purchased for either $32,000 each (Chevrolet Traverse) and $30,000 each (Ford Escape). The total requested cost averages $40,000 per vehicle for 37 vehicles. The higher requested cost average allows for fluctuation in price and also the purchase of at least one vehicle that’s able to tow trailers, which would be a higher cost.  

If approved, staff would update Committees and the full Board on the progress of this work.

Consistent with Resolution 19-20 and the revised Division of Responsibilities (10/8/19), the Board of Health has authority over the Health District budget.

MOVE TO authorize the Administrative Officer to utilize $1,500,000 of the unreserved fund balance for the replacement of vehicles for the Health District's fleet.