At Monday’s City Council Meeting, the City of Humboldt approved a motion to purchase a vehicle for the Community Safety Officer (CSO) to replace the current vehicle.
The vehicle purchased by the City of Humboldt is a fully equipped 2016 Dodge Charger. Currently the CSO uses a 2014 Chevrolet Tahoe.
Director of Protective Services Mike Kwasnica noted the Tahoe has surpassed 350,000 kms and is experiencing significant mechanical issues. He said keeping it operational would be costly, and there’s no guarantee of long-term reliability.
Kwasnica noted the city has been saving funds for a replacement vehicle through the City’s fleet program.
The Charger comes from the City of North Battleford and their CSO program. North Battleford recently upgraded their vehicle and kept the Charger in their inventory. They’ve extended a reasonable offer to the City of Humboldt for $15,000 with taxes included. Kwasnica said the reason the City of North Battleford made a generous offer was because the vehicle was being transferred between two CSO programs.
The incoming vehicle will be equipped with all the emergency lighting, siren and radio equipment that’s required for the CSO. Kwasnica pointed out the cost to fully equip a vehicle is around $30,000.
Also, even though the Charger is only two years younger than the Tahoe, it has significantly less wear and tear as it has under 100,000 kms and improved fuel efficiency.
For the time being, Kwasnica says both vehicles will be utilized by the CSO until they are done with the Tahoe and then they will replace it with another vehicle. He adds they will remove the equipment and signage before the vehicle is auctioned off.
Recently, the City of Humboldt approved the hiring of a second CSO that will work on a part-time basis. They have also agreed to a contract with the Town of Watson that will see a CSO provide bylaw enforcement in their community.