CONSTANCE BAY – The City of Ottawa will gift a snowmobile and trailer to the Constance and Buckham’s Bay Community Association (CBBCA).

The Community and Protective Services committee (CPSC) approved a plan to donate a decommissioned snowmobile and sled to the CCBA following the committee’s Oct. 17 meeting.

The city has occasionally donated decommissioned vehicles to non-profit organizations, such as it did in 2014, donating a decommissioned ambulance to the Salvation Army of Ottawa, a trailer to the Bell Warriors Football Club in 2018 and a surplus stage to the Richmond Agricultural Society that same year.

The Disposal of Fleet Vehicles and Equipment Policy sets out the various options for disposal of a unit of the municipal fleet. Once an item is declared surplus stock, the city considers the best disposal option with consideration of timing to prevent loss of value of the unit due to delays or seasonal market conditions. Under the policy, donation is listed as a disposal option where the City may be requested to donate a surplus unit to a specific cause or institution. When a surplus unit is from the municipal vehicles and equipment under the responsibility of Fleet Services, the option for disposal is exercised under delegated authority by the CPSC. To consider such a request, the CPSC chair must receive a written request to consider the donation and this report can act as the written request. The donation can then be carried out by staff per direction from the CPSC.

The snowmobile and sled were formerly used by and stored at Ottawa Fire Services Station 63 in Constance Bay.

“It is within the city’s interest to seize opportunities for efficient disposal of such assets to alleviate potential storage and maintenance needs,” city staff wrote in their report to the CPSC. “The CBBCA has written to the city indicating their interest in receiving the surplus snowmobile and sled as a donation from the city so they may continue to use it for their non-fire related activities.”

Fleet Services had the equipment appraised and the value of the snowmobile and sled was assessed at $250.

“The CBBCA is aware of the condition of the snowmobile and sled,” city staff said. “The CBBCA has agreed to enter in to an agreement with the city under which it will accept the surplus snowmobile and sled on an ‘as is, where is and as seen’ basis with no warranties either expressed or implied.”

The appraiser noted “the snowmobile is in good working order.”