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Temple reports fleet readiness gains, new trucks and solid‑waste changes; city plans telemetry and more routes
Summary
At a Dec. 18 workshop Temple public-works leaders said fleet availability rose from about 77% to above 90% after staffing and process changes, new hires and truck deliveries; the department described a Geotab telemetry rollout, plans for additional routes and a renewable natural gas revenue stream from the landfill.
City fleet and solid‑waste leaders told the Temple City Council on Dec. 18 that recent hires, process changes and equipment deliveries have substantially improved operational readiness and service.
Tim Cook, operations manager for Fleet, summarized the department’s approach to ‘‘proactive maintenance,’’ increased staffing and a new preventive‑maintenance cadence. He said the department’s initiatives contributed to a rise in reported fleet availability from about 77% to above 90%, and the city set a goal of 95% availability for fiscal year 2026.
Cook described several specific changes: hiring technicians and internal promotions, creating a night PM shift, keeping critical parts (for example PTOs) in inventory, and instituting a QA/QC repair‑validation process. "We've allowed us to go from a 77% operational readiness to upgrade to a to a 90% figure," Cook said. He also described a plan for split shifts and additional technician training funded in the adopted budget.
On solid waste, staff said the city has received most ordered trucks (11 on order with most delivered) and will add an 11th garbage route and an 8th recycling route to reduce workload per vehicle. They credited coordination with Fleet for better preventive maintenance, reported increased on‑time route completion and a drop in recycling contamination from about 21% to 14%.
Staff also described a planned rollout of Geotab telemetry (an on‑vehicle diagnostics and GPS/telemetry system) to predict maintenance needs and alert fleet staff to diagnostic faults, and a future plan to install cameras in collection vehicles; staff emphasized the systems will be used to improve safety and maintenance scheduling.
The landfill renewable‑natural‑gas project produced a first fiscal‑year payment reported at $27,000, with production expected to increase as additional cells and wells come online. Staff also discussed customer‑service changes for brush-and-bulk collection, door‑hanger outreach to residents and protocols to address illegal dumping on vacant lots via code compliance.
What’s next: Staff said they will provide division‑level fleet‑availability breakdowns for budget planning, continue Geotab training, bring route adjustments online when trucks and staffing permit, and finalize the landfill master plan and a new 24/7 recycling drop‑off center. Council did not take any new binding budget votes during the workshop.
Limitations: Reported figures (availability rates, contamination percentages, $27,000 payment) were presented by staff and should be verified in written staff reports for formal budget or procurement decisions.
