COLORADO SPRINGS, CO – The City of Colorado Springs needs to pump $32 million into new cars and trucks, according to the Web site http://www.gazette.com. A recent study concluded that 1,026 of the city’s 1,939 vehicles — more than one for each of the city’s 1,770 general fund employees — need replacing, city staff said in a memo to City Council.

The city has added 339 vehicles since 2001. It also increased its SUV fleet by 37 percent, from 103 to 141.

Officials said the fleet has aged from an average of 6.3 years in 2001 to 8.4 years in 2007 because the council has failed to allocate enough money annually to buy SUVs, dump trucks, snowplows, and patrol cruisers. While allocations averaged $2.6 million for 2006 and 2007, staff said $9.1 million a year is needed to keep the fleet’s average age at seven years.

Fleet Division Manager Tom Monarco said the city is falling behind. As a result, maintenance costs for the general fund fleet have been running an extra $600,000 per year for the past four years. He acknowledged, however, that some of the escalating cost can be blamed on soaring oil prices, which drive up the cost of fuel, oil, and tires.

The council is scheduled to discuss a $100,000 study of the municipal fleet. The study was conducted by Mercury Associates Inc., of Gaithersburg, Md.

The council will consider a $4 million, seven-year payback lease/purchase proposal that would buy more vehicles for general fund departments in addition to this year’s $1.2 million allocation, according to www.gazette.com.

The city begins the replacement process with the Fleet Division determining what’s due for replacement based on a consultant’s formula. The vehicles are then evaluated by mechanics to determine condition. That’s followed by an economic analysis to compute a three-year maintenance cost for each vehicle, which includes parts and labor. A final list is then compiled, showing which vehicles are in dire need of replacement.