Related: Ga. City Report: In-House Maintenance Will Not Cut Costs
Union Pressure Stalls $7M Fleet Maintenance Contract
Facing conflicting reports on costs and union pressure, the City of Allentown, Pa., council voted to table a $7 million contract for fleet maintenance.

File photo

File photo
Facing conflicting reports on cost, the City of Allentown, Pa., council voted to table a $7 million contract for fleet maintenance, The Morning Call reported.
The union representing some city employees claimed the city could save $420,000 over three years by doing maintenance in-house, with savings coming from not having to pay a management/service fee. The director of Public Works disagrees, stating that in-house work would cost $300,000 more annually than the proposed contract, according to the newspaper.
The Municipal Garage, under the Public Works Department, is responsible for maintenance and repair and assists with acquisition and disposal. It uses a contractor, Centerra Integrated Servces, to maintain the vehicles — that contractor is in its ninth and final contracted year of work, according to the RFP.
The city operates a fleet of 597 vehicles and equipment, including sedans, light- to heavy-duty trucks, fire trucks, heavy construction equipment, mowers, and police vehicles.
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