Date: Oct 6, 2021
Author: Joe Curtis
Location: Winnsboro, LA
"Five new vehicles rolled into Winnsboro for town employees Monday.
On March 26, Town Council members unanimously approved a 10-vehicle lease agreement with Enterprise Fleet Management. One vehicle was previously delivered and four additional vehicles will be delivered soon. The vehicles will be used in Winnsboro’s public works departments.
The four-year lease was a cost-saving measure while replacing the town’s aging fleet, according to Mayor John Dumas.
“By partnering with Enterprise Fleet Management, it is estimated that the Town of Winnsboro will reduce maintenance costs by 72 percent,” said Karen Molberg, Enterprise account executive. “By shifting from reactively replacing inoperable vehicles to planning vehicle purchases, the city will be able to replace 10 of its oldest vehicles within a year and save approximately $22,580.”.
According to Enterprise documents, Winnsboro was expected to save approximately $250,000 over eight years and reduce maintenance cost by 72 percent.
Ninety percent of Winnsboro’s current light and medium-duty vehicles were more than 10 years old, according to Enterprise documents. The lease was open-ended meaning Winnsboro could end the agreement with no early termination, mileage or abnormal wear and tear penalties, according to Enterprise documents.
Included in the 10 vehicles were one-ton, three-quarter-ton and half-ton trucks along with a minivan.
Winnsboro declared current older, high-maintenance vehicles having no foreseen use or value as surplus to be sold, according to a resolution Town Council members passed in March. Claiming vehicles as surplus, Winnsboro can advertise them for sale.
An accurate money-saving amount will be calculated after Winnsboro sells its surplus vehicles, Dumas said.
Meanwhile, Dumas said his administration is using American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) money to repair Winnsboro’s sewer substations.“We’re fixing bits and pieces of substations around Winnsboro,” Dumas said.
“We’re doing that to get ready to rehab our wastewater treatment plant. The (ARPA) money is keeping us on track. Without the money, we would be in real bad shape.”
