City projects savings of $465,000 with new automotive department practices

In the last four months under the leadership of new Automotive Director Steven Riley, who was the Assistant Director of Fleet Services for the City of Atlanta, a number of new practices have been implemented which is estimated to save the City of Coral Gables $465,000 annually. Among these initiatives are changes associated with the way the City purchases its fuel, resulting in a $150,000 savings.

Also, the City has rescinded the policy of changing the battery in all emergency vehicles once a year whether they need it or not. The City now conducts annual battery voltage checks and will only replace the battery when it will not hold a charge. This change has an estimated annual savings of $25,000.

A change in the tire repair and tire purchasing policies, allowing the repair of tires with significant tread life left and the direct purchase of new tires through the State of Florida Government Contract will result in $60,000 annual savings. The utilization of an existing software application that tracks the warranty status of all parts in City vehicles is estimated to save $30,000 annually.

Lastly, the Automotive Department is now responsible for the maintenance of the Coral Gables Trolley, eliminating the costly contract with an outside vendor. This represents a direct savings of approximately $200,000 each year and provides the opportunity for City mechanics to work on vehicles other than Trolleys during slow periods.