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The Atlantic County Utilities Authority in New Jersey provides waste and recycling collection services for the City of Vineland while outsourcing vehicle repairs to the Cumberland County Improvement Authority. Photo courtesy of Atlantic County Utilities Authority<\/em><\/p>\n Economic benefits and taxpayer relief are two reasons why the Cumberland County Improvement Authority (CCIA) in New Jersey has moved toward sharing fleet maintenance<\/a> with additional Cumberland County departments and other municipalities. Shared fleet maintenance services have become more widespread in New Jersey in recent years, according to the CCIA.<\/p>\n When several fleets team up to get their maintenance centrally performed, sharing expenses such as facilities and labor decreases the cost to each sharing entity.<\/p>\n CCIA has 10 to 12 current shared services customers in New Jersey. Services CCIA performs for its partners include anything related to fleet management services. The authority also maintains and repairs police cars, sheriff\u2019s vehicles, fire engines, ambulances, and any other vehicles that operate within the county.<\/p>\n One of its customers is the Vineland Board of Education. \u201cThey have an existing fleet department and fleet staff, so we supplement their staff,\u201d said Gerard Velazquez III, president and CEO of CCIA. \u201cThey bring us the vehicles that were going to private entities that they couldn\u2019t handle in house.\u201d<\/p>\n CCIA performs the same work for the City of Vineland\u2019s fire trucks and ambulances, Deerfield Township\u2019s dump trucks and fire trucks, and Cape May City\u2019s tractor-\u00adtrailers, cars, and other heavy equipment.<\/p>\n CCIA\u2019s work in sharing fleet services led to an opportunity to gain access to parts and supplies at a reduced rate. The authority also charges about $52.50 to $53 per hour for the work it performs, which is much less than those partner entities previously paid.<\/p>\n What are some advantages and disadvantages of shared services agreements?<\/p>\n \u201cThe most obvious advantage is cost,\u201d Velazquez said. \u201cI think No. 2 would be quality. Because we are fixing the vehicles, we obviously are a public entity, and we have a different attention to detail and responsibility to make sure we\u2019re repairing these vehicles as if they are our own, because they are, indirectly.\u201d<\/p>\n One disadvantage of shared services agreements is that some fleet staff members for the municipalities that share fleet services with Cumberland County fear they will lose their jobs.<\/p>\n But municipalities should not consider CCIA to be a threat, Velazquez said. CCIA\u2019s purpose is to supplement and support staff, rather than replace.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re just supplementing what the municipalities and county can\u2019t handle directly through their own staff,\u201d he said. \u201cCertainly in government, change is not always welcome, so that\u2019s part of the problem \u2026 Sometimes folks view us as the evil twin brother that\u2019s trying to take over the world, when in fact, we\u2019re really just trying to make it more efficient and effective.\u201d<\/p>\n The Atlantic County Utilities Authority (ACUA) is in a county near Cumberland and is the newest CCIA shared services customer, joining in January. ACUA is providing waste and recycling collection services<\/a> for the City of Vineland, a contract that required a separate vehicle repair location. ACUA turned to the CCIA to provide this service.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Vineland trash and recycling collection contract required us to have a remote location away from the main facility in Atlantic County,\u201d said Rick Dovey, ACUA president. \u201cWe worked out a shared services arrangement with the Cumberland County Improvement Authority, which operates the landfill and composting and recycling center for Cumberland County. And we\u2019re sharing office space, locker room space, and also they\u2019re providing fuel services and fleet maintenance for our 11 trash recycling trucks that we have assigned to that location.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re going to build upon this relationship \u2026 trying to make the most effective and efficient use of our shared services that we can in the county,\u201d said Velazquez of CCIA.<\/p>\n by Daryl Lubinsky<\/p>\nSharing Services, Cutting\u00a0 Fleet Costs<\/h3>\n
Shared Services Include Engine Repairs,\u00a0Diagnostics<\/h4>\n
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<\/figure>\nOne Obvious Advantage \u2014 and a Disadvantage<\/h4>\n
Newest Member Shares Recycling Services, CNG Stations<\/h4>\n
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I\u00b4m\u00a0a Fleet Management expert, and the manager of\u00a0