The Morro Bay Harbor Department's 2003 F250 Ford pickup truck used for beach lifeguard response is ready to be retired.
The Friends of the Morro Bay Harbor Department have been fundraising to purchase a replacement vehicle and are now only about $3,000 shy of the needed $36,000 for a new Polaris UTV.
Even though city funds are not being used toward the new vehicle, the group will be going before the city council Tuesday night, asking for the council’s approval to accept the donations for the purchase.
“It will still be used in the off-season by Harbor Patrol to get either to the Harbor Patrol office or Morro Rock when it is congested. It will be easier than using a vehicle,” said Lori Stilts with the Morro Bay Harbor Department.
Stilts says the new UTV they want to purchase will cost half as much and will be half the maintenance as a truck would.
She adds that the UTV will be used on the beach with the lifeguards, even in the off-season, allowing the Harbor Patrol to get to areas like Morro Rock faster.
The Harbor Department is hoping to order the UTV and have it ready to go by this summer.
