Madera County Grand Jury
• 2011-2012
2011-2012 Madera County Grand Jury Final Report on Madera County Central Garage
⚠️ Translation Notice: This content has been automatically translated. The original English text is the official version. Translation may contain errors.
⚠️ Este contenido ha sido traducido automáticamente. El texto original en inglés es la versión oficial. La traducción puede contener errores.
Findings and Recommendations 22 findings
F1
The Grand Jury found that Central Garage was well organized and very clean.
No recommendations for this finding
F2
The Grand Jury found that the lighting for the bays was located on the 20 to 22 foot high ceiling of the garage.
No recommendations for this finding
F3
The Grand Jury found that the facility's security measures include perimeter fencing topped with razor wire, internal motion detector alarms, an external gate alarm, and after- hour card key access.
No recommendations for this finding
F4
The Grand Jury found that the fuel dispensing system at Central Garage is currently being automated to capture vehicle and driver identification data, vehicle mileage, and quantity of gasoline obtained.
No recommendations for this finding
F5
The Grand Jury found that only frequently used parts are stocked at Central Garage, minimizing inventory costs.
No recommendations for this finding
F6
The Grand Jury found that when non-stocked parts are needed, the parts assistant purchases from local parts suppliers based on price and availability.
No recommendations for this finding
F7
The Grand Jury found that the automotive technicians are required to furnish their own tools.
No recommendations for this finding
F8
The Grand Jury found that the automotive technicians are reimbursed 50% of tool purchases annually, up to $500.
No recommendations for this finding
F9
The Grand Jury found that the staff works as a cooperative team, sharing specialty tools and brainstorming ideas for solving difficult repair problems.
No recommendations for this finding
F10
The Grand Jury found that Central Garage staff alternate mandatory furlough days, thus keeping the garage open for business Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
No recommendations for this finding
F11
The Grand Jury found that Central Garage schedules every vehicle for preventative maintenance every 4 months or 4,000 miles.
No recommendations for this finding
F12
The Grand Jury found that with the use of synthetic oil, oil changes are performed with every other preventative maintenance service.
No recommendations for this finding
F13
The Grand Jury found that the Central Garage operation is self-supported by charging County departments for services provided: a. Departments which use pool vehicles or have assigned vehicles are charged standard rates based upon mileage utilization and type of vehicle. b. Annual standard rates are set to include the costs of vehicle maintenance and repair, fuel, and future vehicle replacement. c. Departments which own their vehicles are charged the actual costs of fuel used and maintenance and repair services provided.
No recommendations for this finding
F14
The Grand Jury found that Central Garage outsources some repair jobs, such as automatic transmission and body work.
No recommendations for this finding
F15
The Grand Jury found that Central Garage currently services and maintains about 340 vehicles in the County’s fleet.
No recommendations for this finding
F16
The Grand Jury found that on October 25, 2011, the Board of Supervisors (BoS) adopted the “Vehicle Replacement and Disposal Policy and Guidelines” which defines replacement/disposal criteria for the various types of vehicles in the County’s fleet.
No recommendations for this finding
F17
The Grand Jury found that on October 25, 2011, the BoS approved reduction of the County’s fleet through salvage of 41 vehicles identified as high mileage, older inefficient models.
No recommendations for this finding
F18
The Grand Jury found that the mountain area vehicles have to be brought 50 miles to the Central Garage in Madera for servicing or repairs.
No recommendations for this finding
F19
The Grand Jury found that it requires approximately 5 man-hours when a mountain area vehicle is brought to and serviced at Central Garage.
No recommendations for this finding
F20
The Grand Jury found that on August 8, 2011, the County issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) to determine the viability and options for servicing and inspecting County fleet vehicles in the mountain area. As of the August 25, 2011 submission deadline, only one response to the RFP had been received.
No recommendations for this finding
F21
The Grand Jury found that the shop supervisor is exploring the possibility of establishing a satellite garage in the mountain area to perform the vehicle maintenance and repair services.
No recommendations for this finding
F22
The Grand Jury found that the County departments which utilize Central Garage services are very satisfied with the services received and the condition of vehicles provided. Conclusions:
No recommendations for this finding
Conclusions 5
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CL1The Grand Jury concluded that the Shop Supervisor and staff have established a teamwork environment which promotes an efficiently run operation.
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CL2The Grand Jury concluded that the Shop Supervisor is constantly and vigorously seeking to improve operations and services of Central Garage.
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CL3The Grand Jury concluded that with the number of vehicles assigned to the mountain area, a great number of man-hours and money is wasted driving to Central Garage in Madera, waiting for the vehicle to be serviced, and returning to Eastern Madera County. This places the vehicle and operator out of service for an extended period of time as well as adding to the vehicle's operating cost. It may be economical to perform vehicle servicing and repairs in the Oakhurst area, either by Central Garage staff or outsourcing to local business.
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CL4The Grand Jury concluded that the standard of services to vehicles in the mountain area would be well maintained if performed by staff supervised by the Central Garage Supervisor.
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CL5The Grand Jury concluded that additional portable lighting would be beneficial to the employees working in the garage bays.