In order to control operational costs and maintain an economical size of the City's vehicle fleet and equipment inventory, items that are worn out and have served their useful life due to high mileage, high maintenance costs, obsolete parts availability, and other factors determined by the Fleet Maintenance Supervisor, a list is compiled for Council to review and declare the items surplus equipment to allow staff to auction off the identified items.
As City Council may recall, since 2016 the City's Public Works Department holds a vehicle and equipment auction utilizing The Public Group, LLC. AKA Public Surplus online services. These services were approved by City Council prior to the initial auction being held. The only expense for the City is the cost to place an ad in a major newspaper notifying the general public of the online auction. Once an item is sold the buyer is required to pay an auction fee of seven percent (7%) of the purchase price. The City collects all of the funds and distributes the seven percent (7%) to Public Surplus as part of the auction agreement. Minimum purchase prices for the vehicles are identified and set by the City's Fleet Maintenance Supervisor using the Kelly Blue Book. The majority of the vehicles sold online have exceeded the minimum set bid making this type of auction more successful than the Tampa Bay Auction the City utilized for over twenty years. Subsequent to staff review, it has been determined The Public Group, LLC. auction terms and conditions have not changed and remain the same as the previous agreement with the City.
As City Council is aware, Pasco Hernando State College has a Law Enforcement Academy. Several officers working for the New Port Richey Police Department have obtained their Law Enforcement Certifications utilizing this program. As part of the candidate’s training, the students participate in a variety of driving techniques, designed especially for the law enforcement driver. In an effort to keep costs down for this type of training, several law enforcement agencies have donated retired vehicles to the program. Subsequent to discussion with the Police Chief, a request to the City Manager to donate a 2009 Ford Crown Victoria #113 has been submitted. This vehicle has 163,661 miles registered on the odometer and the City’s Fleet Maintenance Supervisor has determined that the minimum value for the vehicle is $476 and the maximum value is $1,308.