Sun Sep 05 2010
By KATY GANZ
Staff Writer
Worn brake pads or loose wheel bearings on county vehicles were minor problems caught before any major injuries, thanks to the Holmes County Engineer's Office's new service program for county vehicles.
The program began about two months ago, said Garage Superintendent and Safety Manager Ron Scherer.
Many of the departments involved have been shocked by how much lower the price is to have the county garage work on a vehicle rather than a private mechanic.
"One of them said, 'You're half the price of what we got earlier,'" Scherer said.
It's less expensive for the engineer's office to complete vehicle repairs, because the office can buy in bulk, especially in regard to oil changes, said County Engineer Chris Young.
"The larger the volume you have, the more purchasing power you have," Young said.
County Auditor Jackie McKee is one department head that has been pleasantly surprised by the savings.
"We had one vehicle and it's older, and we had a couple of issues, and the cost of them for the repair and part was less than me going somewhere else and just getting the part," McKee said. "So, that's a big benefit to me and my budget."
Another factor in why it costs less for the county garage, is that the garage is not trying to make a profit, Scherer said.
"We are not a business, so there is no markup on our parts," he said.
But, more work does mean slightly more revenue coming into the engineer's office that would have otherwise gone outside of the county's departments.
"We have the mechanics anyway, we might as well do more work, or do as much work as we can," Young said. "It fills in gaps in our work flow."
When mechanic Bill Maxheimer works on a vehicle he doesn't just address the problem at hand either; he completes a multiple-point inspection of the vehicle that includes everything from break fluid to air and fuel filters.
"I gather from looking at some of these vehicles that a lot of stuff hasn't been checked," Scherer said. "At least we can document what we've done on the vehicle."
During a recent inspection, Maxheimer found a loose wheel bearing on a health department vehicle.
"It's created more work for us, but I see the benefit in it," Scherer said. "I wouldn't want those nurses with the health department driving out in a vehicle I wouldn't want my wife in."
In addition to now servicing vehicles from the sheriff's department, job and family services, the auditor's office and the health department, Maxheimer has to service the engineer's fleet of 32 vehicles and equipment.
But, the work all gets done, and every week new departments and county offices are contacting Scherer about servicing vehicles.
"We all have our little niches and fixing vehicles is ours," Scherer said.
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