DATE: April 3, 2018
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Margaret Mims, Sheriff-Coroner
SUBJECT: Budget Transfer for Purchase of an Off-Road Vehicle for the Off-Highway Vehicle Task Force
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
Approve and authorize the Clerk to the Board to execute Budget Transfer No. 16 ($13,000) transferring appropriations within the Sheriff-Coroner Org 3111, from Account 6400 (Retirement Contribution) to Account 8300 (Equipment) for the purchase of an off-road vehicle.
REPORT
There is no increase in Net County Cost associated with this action. The Sheriff-Coroner’s Office will use salary savings in the department’s current year budget to purchase the off-road vehicle.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
There is no viable alternative action. The non-approval of the recommended action will require the Off-Highway Vehicle task force to continue to use the current equipment, which is old and outdated.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no increase in Net County Cost associated with this action. The approval of the recommended action will allow the Sheriff-Coroner Org 3111 to transfer FY 2017-18 salary savings appropriations in the amount of $13,000 between accounts to purchase an off-road vehicle. Maintenance costs are included in the FY 2017-18 adopted budget and will be included in future requested budgets.
DISCUSSION:
On October 17, 2017, your Board approved the Off-Highway Vehicle Grant Award/Agreement with the Department of Parks and Recreation for the period of July 8, 2017, through July 7, 2018 in the amount of $83,300 with matching funds of $27,764.50. Most Fresno County off-road vehicle activity is located in the eastern part of the County where the U.S. Forest Service maintains trails in the mountain areas for snowmobiles and other off-road vehicles. The Sheriff-Coroner’s Off-Road Safety team has the ability to resolve many off-road related problems that are otherwise difficult for deputies to address.
The Off-Road Safety team currently has two all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) that will be traded in to the vendor in order to receive a discount on the requested equipment. ATVs are outdated when it comes to off-road vehicles, and side-by-side utility vehicles (UTVs) are the preferable method of transportation. ATVs usually have one seat, with no room to seat another person, and limited to no safety measures built in. A UTV, as requested to purchase, has side-by-side seating, so the number of deputies going out will not be reduced. The side-by-side seating feature also makes it possible to rescue civilians. The UTV also comes with safety measures such as seat belts and a roll cage built in. Moving from two off-road vehicles (the ATVs) to one off-road vehicle (the UTV) will also result in lower overall maintenance costs. The recommended action will allow for the purchase of a UTV, which will allow the department’s Off-Road Safety Team to travel into more terrain that they cannot easily access now with the ATVs.
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
BAI #33, October 17, 2017
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
On file with Clerk - Budget Transfer No. 16
CAO ANALYST:
Jeannie Z. Figueroa