EVERETT – Three local nonprofits received county surplus vehicles in the first use of an updated county policy that allows for vehicle donation.
The Washington West African Center, Holman Recovery Center, and North Counties’ Family Services each received a vehicle. Keys were presented at the McDougall Fleet Shop in Everett on Friday.
The Snohomish County Council passed an ordinance in October 2023 that allows for county-owned surplus vehicles to be donated. Previous policy allowed vehicles which reached the end of their useful life to be disposed of, including by auction, destruction or recycling, but did not allow donation. This is the first time since the policy change that eligible vehicles have come up as surplus.
“I’m proud to champion this program to help support the work nonprofits do every day. We know there are transportation barriers for nonprofit service providers and their clients,” said Council Vice Chair Megan Dunn, who joined Facilities and Fleet staff to help present the keys Friday morning. “These vehicles can do so much more good for the community with service providers behind the wheel than if the county auctioned the cars for pennies on the dollar.”
“It’s exciting to see these ideas come to life,” Council Chair Nate Nehring said. “This isn’t just a change in policy anymore, it’s real car keys in the hands of local organizations that are serving people in our community.”
The vehicle donation agreement with the county requires the recipient organization to have specific plans to use the vehicle for transporting low-income people and individuals with disabilities, or goods and services that support these groups.
The county’s Facilities and Fleet Department worked with the Human Services Department to review and rank applications, then recommended organizations to receive the vehicles:
- The Washington West African Center received a 2007 Chevrolet Malibu.
- Holman Recovery Center received a 2017 Ford Fusion.
- North Counties’ Family Services received a 2017 Ford Fusion.
Each of the vehicles has been determined to be in good working order and has fewer than 60,000 miles. County data and tags have been removed.
“The vehicle donation program allows county government to provide another resource for community partners, and it also allows a more sustainable option when it’s time to surplus a vehicle that is in good working order,” County Executive Dave Somers said. “I want to thank the County Council for their support of this program, and I want to thank the county employees who have worked hard to make it successful.”
“While these vehicles have reached replacement thresholds within our fleet, they have many years of life left to help these organizations provide services to our community,” said Rachael McNiel, Fleet Services Division Manager.
Nonprofits that serve people with transportation needs, including people who are low-income, youth, or have disabilities, may apply for the county’s surplus vehicle donation program. They can apply any time at https://bit.ly/SCsurplus. There are no additional vehicles available at this time, but organizations may indicate the type of vehicle they are interested in and will be notified if one becomes available for donation.
Source: Snohomish County
Author: Lynnwood Times Staff
