Finance Committee - 12/02/2020 Page 5
Mayor Donchess
| think the question really is do we really need to buy new vehicles, can we leave these with the PD, right. Isn’t
that what you are asking?
Alderman O’Brien
Basically in a nutshell, would another year kind of help the City out. | mean you discuss the points with the
pension plan and everything else. And this may be another avenue that we may look at to cut a corner.
Mayor Donchess
What do you think?
Karen Smith, Nashua Police Department
| could speak to that if | could Mayor?
Mayor Donchess
Yes, Miss Smith.
Ms. Smith
That would not be recommended for the type of driving that you’re going to have with the law enforcement
purposes. We have already tried that before with the vehicles and certainly our Fleet Maintenance, Brian could
speak more to this if he has additional to add or the Captain is also available. We look at 100,000 as the
warranty with the vehicles and that is the life of the vehicle for the purposes that we have found useful for our
vehicles. Thank you.
Mayor Donchess
| think the point is that the use by Code Inspectors to drive a few miles or mile or whatever it is to an inspection
is much lighter, less taxing use than we would get from the PD. That’s why | think the PD doesn’t feel that for
their use they are sufficient; just a low use vehicle for the Code Department they probably will work.
Alderman O’Brien
Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Normally | would agree but in the great American, Ben Franklin, a penny saved is a
penny earned.
Mayor Donchess
He had many pearls of wisdom and that is one of them. He also started the first Fire Department, did he not, in
the City of Philadelphia, first Fire Department in the United States.
Alderman O’Brien
And I’m sure he was compensated wisely.
Mayor Donchess
Wasn’t the first Department in Philadelphia started by Ben Franklin.
