von Reichbauer secures retired King County vans for non-profit organizations in South King County

As part of King County’s annual Retired Van Donation Program, Councilmember Pete von Reichbauer secured a retired King County vanpool van for the Federal Way Senior Center, Auburn Youth Resources, and the Boys and Girls Club of Auburn and Federal Way.

King County Councilmember Pete von Reichbauer greets the Federal Way Senior Center's Day Trip Group in front of the Center's new King County retired passenger van. From left to right: Nancy Robertson, Rod Sterley, Al Osborne, Councilmember Pete von Reichbauer, Jean Halloway, Renee Estey.

King County Councilmember Pete von Reichbauer joins Executive Director Shelley Puariea and children from the Boys & Girls Club of Federal Way in front of their newly received retired King County passenger van.

King County Councilmember Pete von Reichbauer presents Auburn Youth Resources with their new retired King County passenger van. From left to right: Mindy Chipps, King County Councilmember Pete von Reichbauer, Auburn Youth Resources Executive Director Jim Blanchard, Former Auburn Mayor Chuck Booth

Last October the Metropolitan King County Council passed legislation transferring passenger vans to nonprofit organizations and local governments that meet the needs of low-income, elderly, disabled and young people in our community. The recipients from von Reichbauer’s District 7 received their retired county vans early this year.

“King County’s retired van donation program is a terrific way for the county to assist those non-profit organizations who play a vital role in elevating the quality of life throughout our region,” said von Reichbauer. “I visit these organizations often and it is easy to see just how valuable these vans will be.”

Since 1996 the King County Council has distributed over 250 retired vans to various non-profit organizations. After eight years in the King County Fleet Division, the vans are retired and prepared for donation.

In 1995 King County Councilmember Pete von Reichbauer began the program after noticing a substantial number of King County vans sitting idle (as much as 30% of the total 741 vehicle fleet). Pete found out that due to an inefficient bulk purchasing policy, the County was housing over $3.8 million worth of excess, unused vehicles.

As chair of the Budget and Fiscal Management Committee, Pete responded by proposing a more cost-effective method of procuring smaller shipments of vans as needed and extending the retirement age of the vehicles from five to eight years.

Pete proposed that a portion of the significant savings of the new policies go towards a program that would donate the retired vans to local non-profits throughout the region. The county van pool program began in 1996 as a pilot project; and has now has now been institutionalized as part of the Metro Transit van pool program.