by James Coulter
The Lake Wales Police Department will be receiving seven new vehicles and disposing of ten now that the City of Lake Wales has given their approval.
At their recent meeting on Tuesday, January 7, 2025, Lake Wales city commissioners voted unanimously to approve a separate item within its consent agenda. That item pertained to the purchase of seven police vehicles and the disposal of ten.
Specifically, according to the city agenda memo, the City has approved “the sixty (60) month lease-purchase of five (5) fully equipped 2025 Chevrolet police patrol vehicles and two (2) police K9 vehicles.”
These vehicles will be acquired from Alan Jay Fleet Sales. As the city agenda memo states: “The capital cost of these vehicles, if purchased outright, would be $538,036.85. Under the lease-purchase agreement, the monthly lease payment would be $10,414 for sixty (60) months, with a total cost of $624,840.”
The City has also approved the disposal of ten surplus vehicles. One of these vehicles will be donated to the Lake Hamilton Police Department.
During the meeting, a resident requested this agenda item be removed for discussion. That resident, Frank Lum, inquired about the value of these vehicles. He noted the vehicle being donated to Lake Hamilton allegedly had “no residual value” while the others were being disposed of.
“I dispose my trash on the curb and they do not pay me for it,” he said. “I’m sure some of this would be of value at a scrap yard.”
City Manager James Slaton explained that any new piece of equipment acquired by the city needed to be approved, which is why this agenda item was being considered. He further elaborated the vehicles being disposed of would be traded for new vehicles.
City Commissioner Carol Gillespie asked if electric vehicles were considered for the purchase. City Manager Slaton explained EVs had been considered, but that the city did not have the necessary infrastructure to facilitate them, especially charging stations.
