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<br />I <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />- .'ill- <br /> <br />.~ <br /> <br />...:: <br /> <br />TO: Council and Manager <br /> <br />October 28, 1980 <br /> <br />FROM: Mayor <br /> <br />Su:B.JE:::T: Police Vehicles <br /> <br />I have several comments regarding the staff report No.80-139 <br />including supplements. A number of these were voice. at a previous <br />council meeting and subsequently to the City Manager. There are <br />several issues which I will address. <br /> <br />First, did staff adequate.ly research and develop specifica- <br />tions which reflect real needs and availability? <br /> <br />Second, did staff take the necessary action to secure <br />competitive bids on the vehicles. <br /> <br />M"~n Third, did staff consider the city image and police image <br />wMeb it specified and recommended purchase of cars which the public <br />views as gas guzzling luxury cars. <br />qnd <br />Fourth, has staff prepared wi!I!il researched and unbiased <br />report in response to the council directive. <br /> <br />In order to answer these questions we need only look at the <br />October 23, 1980 Supplemental Report to COl.Ulcil No. 80-139. Beginning <br />with the second paragraph, here are some comments and observations. <br /> <br />" First, staff hasn't documented the need for aD. the extra <br />equipnent put on police cars. Second,the extra features cited are <br />available on smaller cars as well as larger cars if needed. The fact <br />is that production cars are bought and used by people in all walits of <br />life from student to fanner to truck driver and in most cases serve <br />their owners well. I fincl no reason to believe that our city police <br />cars should receive any more abuse than the same model car owned by any <br />of our citizens. <br /> <br />Second, the weight of a car does not make it either safer <br />nor does it make it ride better. In fact, increased weight has a <br />negative effect on safety because acceleration, maneauverability and <br />braking ability are all reduced. In fact safety and ride are a result <br />of engineering especially in the new "K" and. "X" body cars, and the <br />factor most effected by weight is fuel economy. <br /> <br />Use of the word "smaller" to describle the Reliant, Citation <br />and Fainnont cars is very misleading. In fact especially in tenns of <br />inside dimensions. These cars are at least as large as the Chrysler <br />and, the use of cubic feet as a measure of comparison is ridiculous unless <br />one plans to fill the car with water, golf balls or the like. The cubic. <br />foot di:fference between the Citation and LeBaron is less than 5% and there <br />is no indication where that extra space is. It may be on the back deck <br />or above the dash or even under the seat.' <br />