County to buy $47,000 taxi van to do the heavy lifting

Ozaukee County supervisors have approved the purchase of a bariatric van equipped with a rear-end wheel-chair lift capable of lifting up to 1,000 pounds because some people have had to be turned away because they exceed the 800-pound limit of the county’s current lift.

“We have had to turn away passengers who exceeded the 800-pound weight capacity of our existing lifts when you add the weight of themselves combined with their motorized wheel chair,” county Transit Supt. Jason Wittek wrote in a memo to Public Works Committee members.

About $9,140 of the total $45,700 cost for the Ford Transit ADX Rear Load Bariatric Van is coming from the county tax levy; the rest from federal transportation funds.

That’s about $7,000 less than other vans purchased by the county over the last two years, Wittek said.

County funds are budgeted as part of the regular vehicle replacement fund.

Supervisors also approved the purchase of a mini-bus for $54,661, an increase of 2% over van purchases the last two year. Another $2,622 will be spent to better secure wheelchairs to the van floor. 

The van will be paid for with $13,554 from the county tax levy and the balance from federal transportation funding.