Kane County Ready To Purchase Its First Electric Car
Kane County’s Division of Environmental & Water Resources is living up to its Sustain Kane mission with the anticipated purchase of a 2015 Chevy Volt to replace a 2002 Chevy Blazer that needs to go due to its advanced age.
The Kane County Finance Committee on Wednesday (Jan. 28, 2015) gave the OK to move forward a request to purchase the vehicle from Biggers Chevrolet in Elgin at a price of $32,287. The budget allowed $25,000 for the vehicle replacement, so the purchase required an extra step — an adjustment in the amount of $7,287 to increase the Automotive Equipment line item.
Kane County will also be able to apply for a vehicle rebate of about $3,400 through the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency’s Green Fleet Program.
The Environmental Resources Division, working with the Energy & Environmental Committee, determined that a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle “will meet the needs of the division while achieving goals in the Kane County Operational Sustainability Plan and supporting the Cool Counties Program.”
The savings in fuel costs alone is expected to cover the additional purchase expense, officials said.
Kane County officials have been talking about the possibility of buying an electric vehicle going back as far as 2011, and in 2012, the Kane County’s electric vehicle infrastructure ordinance was singled out in an Illinois Council report as a “national model.”
More recently, electric charging stations are popping up at various Kane County locations. In January, the city of St. Charles celebrated the 2014 installation of an electric-car charging station on the fourth floor of the parking garage on First and Illinois streets.
The Kane County Forest Preserve District purchased its first electric vehicle last year and has an electric charging station at the site of its main office at the Fox Valley Ice Arena, 1996 S. Kirk Road, Geneva.
At Wednesday’s Finance Committee meeting, board member Thomas (T.R.) Smith floated a motion that would have sent the authorizing resolution back to the Environmental Committee, but the motion died for lack of a second.
Smith cast the lone dissenting vote in a motion that moved the resolution to the full County Board on Feb. 10. He said he opposed the plan because of the higher purchase price of the vehicle and was concerned that the purchase would serve as a “barometer” for future purchases.
Board member Theresa Barreiro disagreed.
“This is a pilot program, and this is our first electric vehicle,” she said. “That’s the purpose of a pilot program — to see if it works.”
DRAFT RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING A VEHICLE REPLACEMENT AND BUDGET ADJUSTMENT FOR ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES
WHEREAS, the Division of Environmental & Water Resources needs to replace a 2002 Chevy Blazer due to advanced age, mileage, and increasing cost of repairs ; and
WHEREAS, a replacement 2015 Chevy Volt will cost $32,287 (Thirty-Two Thousand Two Hundred Eighty Seven Dollars); and
WHEREAS, a Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle will reduce fuel consumption, fuel costs, and vehicle emissions for the Environmental Resources Division; and
WHEREAS, adding a Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle to the County’s fleet will support goals in the Kane County Operational Sustainability Plan [Resolution #13-24 passed on 2/13/13] and the Cool Counties program [Resolution #13-213 passed on 7/9/13]; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Kane County Board that the Division of Environmental & Water Resources is hereby authorized to purchase a 2015 Chevy Volt at a cost of $32,287, selecting the lowest bid by Biggers Chevrolet in Elgin, IL.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED by the Kane County Board that $7,287 be added to the Cash on Hand line item and to the Automotive Equipment line item in the FY2015 budget:
650.670.670.70070 Automotive Equipment + $7,287.00 650.670.000.39900 Cash on Hand + $7,287.00
Passed by the Kane County Board on February 10, 2015.
