Southlake to Purchase New City Vehicles

Southlake City Council recently approved the replacement of several vehicles and heavy equipment at the October 1 City Council meeting.

These purchases are in line with the City’s Fleet Services Program. The Vehicle Replacement Committee, which consists of department directors, supervisors and managers review the items that are on schedule for replacement and then recommend which vehicles and equipment should be replaced. Criteria for replacement include age, mileage, condition, usage and repair history.

Vehicles and heavy equipment approved for replacement this year will include a Fire Truck, Fire Brush Truck, two Vacuum Excavator Trucks, Mini Excavator, Police Vehicles and other city vehicles.

Replacing vehicles and heavy equipment is one of the ways Southlake invests to provide and maintain high-quality public assets. It also ensures the safety and security of citizens by taking proactive measures to reduce risk of injury as well as ensure that the City’s vehicles and equipment are functioning properly.

“Replacing older vehicles and equipment is important because older vehicles and equipment require more maintenance and upkeep,” stated Purchasing Manager, Tim Slifka, “They are also less fuel-efficient which increases overall fuel costs. Maintaining our fleet provides our staff members with reliable equipment to serve the Southlake community. The vehicle replacement plan is a cost-effective method which allows better budget forecasting.”

As a part of Southlake’s commitment to providing financial stewardship, the funds for replacements are allocated in the FY2020 Vehicle Replacement Fund.  The funding is designed to even out expenses for the City’s fleet from year to year and provides a method for purchasing and retiring of vehicles.

A rolling five-year vehicle and equipment replacement plan has been in place for multiple years which helps the City develop future capital investment needs.