SNOW HILL — Greene County is purchasing two vans for the Department of Social Services, as well as one for the sheriff’s office.
But vans were not always purchased by the county.
For an undetermined number of years, the county’s DSS has been leasing two vans. But there is no contract nor any records to be found at the county office or at Enterprise in Kinston, Interim Manager Richard Hicks said.
The rental has been paid on a month-to-month basis, said DSS Director Christy Nash. She added the leasing has been going on at least since she began working for DSS at the end of December 2010.
“It wasn’t a contract I ever negotiated,” Nash said.
When Hicks discovered the county was paying about $30,000 for three years of leasing, he suggested the Board of Commissioners consider purchasing the vehicles.
On Monday night, the board approved a contract for a loan to purchase two 2013 Grand Caravan SEs at a 2.02 percent interest rate for 36 months. If the county opts to pre-pay the loan with First Citizens Bank, there is a $500 fee.
The loan payments will be about $1,291 a month, or about $46,485 for three years.
The board approved the proposal unanimously. The county will continue leasing until the new vans are purchased.
The cost of leasing vans includes maintenance and insurance. DSS currently pays for the gas, and there are no mileage costs, Nash said.
When the leased vehicles break down or need maintenance, the department receives a replacement the same day, she said.
Hicks said insurance for the new vehicles will run about $3,000 a year for both.
Nash said she didn’t know what the savings would be by purchasing the vehicles.
“It may not be a significant savings,” she said, “but there will be savings.”
Hicks said the vans will be under warranty at least one year.
“If you’ve got $3,000 a year for maintenance,” he said, “there’s still a substantial cost savings.”
The vans are used for a variety of purposes, including moving an elderly or disabled people into a facility, transporting children and, occasionally, transporting lunches for Meals on Wheels.
“We use them for transporting foster children and for training,” she said. They also transport older adults to doctor appointments when the department needs to determine competency, she added.
A couple of years ago, the department leased a car and a van, but for about $125 to $150 more, Nash opted to lease two vans. The car held five people, while the vans each hold seven people.
“If we had to put a bike or a lot of clothing in them,” she said, “… we could fold the seats down.”
They can also fit a wheelchair, walker and oxygen tanks and deliver Christmas baskets, she said.
Margaret Fisher can be reached at 252-559-1082 or Margaret.Fisher@Kinston.com. Follow her on Twitter @MargaretFishr.