Pennsylvania City Approves Emergency Maintenance Contract

The Allentown, Pennsylvania, fleet department will get a hand on vehicle maintenance through an emergency contract. The city council unanimously approved the contract at a recent meeting, after voting down a similar one late last year, according to The Morning Call. Allentown is breaking its current contract with Constelllis due to long-standing issues with the contractor. City officials told The Morning Call that the Constellis garage for the city is so understaffed that when vehicles are sent there, they are often later sent to dealerships instead, leading to major delays.

According to the resolution, the city received bids from vendors to provide maintenance in December. A committee recommended King George Fleet Services, but city council denied the contract. In January, Government Fleet reported that a committee was created to explore the possibility of bringing fleet maintenance in-house instead. That did not happen. 

The resolution authorizes a two-year contract with King George Fleet Services for nearly $2.7 million dollars for year one, and $2.7 million for year two. This was authorized after the current situation became an "emergency." The contract term may be renewed for three additional one-year terms if the city decides to renew it.

The Morning Call reported that even though the city approved the contract, it is still exploring the possibility of bringing fleet maintenance in-house. The city hired a consultant last month to evaluate the cost of hiring its own mechanics. The results of the cost analysis will be presented in the fall.