Fleet Services directors told the City Board the department has grown to manage roughly 1,700 assets and is preparing to put its operations into an enterprise asset‑management (EAM) system this year to capture lifecycle costs and work‑order spending.
Why it matters: directors said better data and parts inventory would reduce reliance on expensive external labor and speed repairs for high‑value vehicles such as fire apparatus and refuse trucks.
Director Willie Hinton (Fleet Services) outlined the department’s priorities: installing an EAM work‑order system citywide; finalizing replacement plans for Public Works equipment; expanding electric vehicle (EV) adoption and charging infrastructure; and improving in‑house upfitting.
Hinton said the city has 20 EV charging stations in service and plans for 20 more through the 2026 budget cycle; 15 electric vehicles are in service with about 15 more on order. He said some vehicle purchases may be time‑sensitive because of expiring tax credits. "We have 15 electric vehicles already in service. We have 15 that you will be seeing on the next board," Hinton said.
On workforce and costs, Hinton said diesel technicians in the market command roughly $30 to $45 an hour; outside contractors can cost the city $150 to $200 an hour when the city must hire external labor. "If we hire external labor outside, what's the rate? $200," Hinton said in describing peak contract rates; he added the city sometimes negotiates it down to $150.
Fleet managers told the board parts storage is limited for large fire‑apparatus components and landfill heavy equipment; the department buys parts on demand, leaving some critical vehicles out of service while waiting for long‑lead items. Hinton said the department is identifying space at the fire training site to stock commonly used parts.
Fleet also said it aims to bring upfitting work back in‑house and is evaluating a facility on the Fleet Campus to do police vehicle upfits. Personnel: fleet reported 64 budgeted positions with roughly 44 filled at the time of the presentation and that ongoing hiring focuses on higher‑paid diesel technicians rather than increasing headcount.
No formal budget motions or votes were taken during the presentation. Directors committed to providing a deeper cost comparison, including the internal cost to perform work versus outsourcing, after the preliminary hearing.