Technicians at the City of Provo, Utah, appreciate the city’s new $4.8 million fleet facility — it keeps them inside when working on vehicles, which is especially important during freezing cold winters and scorching summer heat, said Nancy Bean, CAFM, fleet manager for the city.
Fleet staff had requested a new building for 15 years before it was approved. Construction began in 2015, and fleet staff members moved in in November 2016. The main issues with the old building were a low ceiling and insufficient light, which led technicians to work outside.
“We made sure we would have height and light among many other needed features,” Bean said.
The $4.8 million cost also includes overhead parking for sanitation trucks and a wash rack that is separate from fleet, Bean said. Funding came from city council, the Sanitation Department, and the Energy Department.
The facility has 12 bays, six of which are drive-through bays. It also includes an administration section for Sanitation, an administrative/reception area, a large lunchroom that doubles as a training room, two locker rooms, one parts warehouse, a fleet administration section, and an oil tank room with secondary containment.
OLD FACILITY: Previously, technicians woul have to work outside, somtimes in scorching heat or freezing temperatures. Photo courtesy of City of Provo
The facility houses nine fleet staff members, of which five are technicians.
“We barely had the keys in our hands when everyone started moving in! There was a real sense of teamwork in the transfer, and I teared up a few times watching the morale climb and the positive, happy attitudes,” she added.
Bean credits Public Works Director Dave Decker with recognizing the harsh conditions the team worked under and pushing the project forward. Other city departments such as Stormwater, Streets, Energy, and Engineering helped to keep costs down by contributing to underground infrastructure, paving, and other detail work.
