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The Windsor Town Council voted 5-0 on May 30 to adopt a police vehicle acquisition resolution bringing a 2023 Ford F-150 Responder onto the force for the Windsor Police Department.

Windsor Town Manager William Saunders explained in a memorandum to the mayor and Town Council that the commonwealth of Virginia has initiated a special law enforcement grant from unspent American Rescue Plan Act funds. 

The Town of Windsor qualified for $153,000 for the purchase of appropriate equipment that can have the effect of suppressing violent crime in the community, he noted.

Part of that money has gone toward an upgraded security system for the WPD and also a 2023 Ford Expedition that is set to replace Windsor Police Chief Rodney “Dan” Riddle’s 2017 Chevrolet Tahoe.

In his memo, Saunders stated that the 2023 Ford F-150 Responder was currently in stock and on hold.

“It was one of a lot purchased under state contract by the city of Chesapeake, of which they did not take delivery,” he said. “This vehicle would replace the oldest vehicle in the fleet, a 2017 Dodge Charger.”

He explained that the total cost of the Ford F-150 purchase, including the outfitting of the vehicle, was $58,062.80.

The cost estimate for the Responder in the grant application was $4,965.48 lower than the actual cost, Saunders wrote, so that amount will not be subject to reimbursement by the grant.

He added that the purchase of the Ford F-150 and the Ford Expedition is recommended to be made from unappropriated ARPA funds until such time as they are reimbursed by the grant.

In a Wednesday, June 7, interview, Saunders said the town will probably pull from ARPA funds to pay for the $4,965.48 that will not be covered by the grant.

Councilman Walter Bernacki asked Riddle, “Did we ever get an answer back about an extended warranty availability?”

“Yeah,” Riddle replied. “The pricing was not going to work. It would have put it outside what we could afford with the budget.”

Bernacki said, “OK, so, with that being the case with the pricing for the vehicle, where is the cost outfitted with all the lights and emergency equipment come from?”

“It’s a separate part of the grant, but it’s all coming from the same place,” Riddle said.

Bernacki made a motion to approve the resolution appropriating the sum of $58,062.80 from the American Rescue Plan Act unappropriated fund balance of the General Fund and approving a budget amendment for fiscal year 2023 for the purchase and outfitting of a 2023 Ford F-150 police vehicle.

A second and the 5-0 vote followed. Councilman Jake Redd was not present for the vote.