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Motion of the Council of Allegheny County urging the Chief Executive and County Manager to evaluate, with all deliberate speed, the feasibility of replacing the County's entire vehicle fleet in order to modernize and improve its efficiency and cost-effectiveness while simultaneously improving its environmental soundness and providing an economic stimulus to local dealers of American-built vehicles.
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WHEREAS, Allegheny County maintains and operates a fleet comprised of hundreds of vehicles, ranging from vans and light trucks to automobiles, lawnmowers, backhoes, and other heavy duty specialty vehicles, and
WHEREAS, these vehicles are manufactured by various companies and are in varying condition; and
WHEREAS, many of these vehicles are also aging; a recent report from the Department of Public Works indicates that many of these vehicles were manufactured decades ago, with some vehicles bearing manufacture dates in the late 1980s; and
WHEREAS, a comprehensive overview of the ability of these aging vehicles to adequately and efficiently meet the needs of the County departments that rely upon them is not currently available; and
WHEREAS, the continued use of these vehicles, manufactured to obsolete standards for fuel efficiency, environmental impacts, and safety, may no longer be cost-effective and may, in some instances, even present dangers to the environment or the County's residents or County employees; and
WHEREAS, Allegheny County recognizes that by improving the energy efficiency of its fleets, significant monetary savings may result in the long term; and
WHEREAS, Allegheny County Council wishes to ensure that purchases and expenditures of public monies are made in a manner consistent with the policy of improving local air quality and reducing greenhouse gas emissions; and
WHEREAS, Council also desires to ensure that any modernization purchases be made from local dealers of American-made vehicles to the extent practicable in order to maximize the economic benefit of any modernization program for the region; and
WHEREAS, Allegheny County recognizes that energy use associated with the operation of its motor vehicle fleets exacerbates local air quality problems and results in greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global climate change; and
WHEREAS, Allegheny County further recognizes that its administrative departments have a significant role to play in improving local air quality and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by improving the energy efficiency of its fleets and reducing emissions from fleet operations.
NOW THEREFORE, IT IS MOVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY, that the Chief Executive and County Manager evaluate the feasibility of replacing the County's entire vehicle fleet in order to modernize and improve the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of the fleet. Such evaluation should be aimed at simultaneously improving the vehicle fleet's environmental soundness and providing an economic stimulus to local dealers of American-built vehicles, and should be undertaken with all deliberate speed. A written report thereon shall be delivered to County Council within ninety (90) days after the date hereof.