The City of Culver City has been named the 3rd Best Municipal Fleet in North America, out of 38,000 public fleets, by the 100 Best Fleets National Fleet Certification/Recognition Program.
Government Fleet publication representatives presented Culver City with this prestigious award at the Government Fleet Expo and Conference held in Denver, Colorado in June.
Paul Condran, Equipment Maintenance/Fleet Manager, is in charge a diverse fleet of more than 650 pieces of equipment and a staff of 42 people.
“The great staff is really the nucleus of the operation. I always challenge them,” said Condran, who empowers employees to organize staff meetings. “The key is to be consensus-building and flexible,” he said. “All-sides communication is the key.”
Culver City has been a progressive leader in its commitment to maintaining a highly efficient operation and by its use of natural gas as its fuel of choice for its entire fleet. The fleet’s successful efforts have helped boost Culver City’s green image.
Culver City’s fleet includes refuse and public works trucks, standard autos, fire and transit buses, all of which conserve over 800,000 gallons of gasoline and diesel fuel per year, saving taxpayers more than $1.5 million dollars annually.
“Culver City recognizes the value of a highly skilled workforce. We are pleased with this award in that it not only acknowledges the talent and dedication of our employees, but it also gives us an opportunity to share the successful and environmentally sound operations we have in place”, says Culver City Mayor Andrew Weissman.
This is not the first year Culver City has been recognized for it’s green initiatives. In 1998 the City deployed 20 CNG buses. By 2004, the Culver City bus fleet replaced its entire diesel bus fleet by 2004, became the first 100-percent CNG transit fleet in the South Coast Air Quality Management District and second in the state of California.
Culver City has worked with OEMs to develop a custom CNG sewer truck, a CNG asphalt repair truck used to repair potholes and cracks, and a street light repair bucket truck.
The CNG fleet fuels at the City’s dedicated CNG station, completed in 1998 and redesigned again in 2008. Condran said the City receives good rates from its natural gas provider.
Embracing the concept of continuous improvement, Condran along with his staff continue to come up with new goals and objectives to improve operations.
“They’re performing the work, not me,” he said. Involving staff helps provide a sense of ownership and pride and cultivates excellent morale,” said Condran.
This achievement is awarded to public city fleet organizations in recognition of their outstanding contributions and leadership, particularly in the advancement of accountability, efficiencies and advanced technologies. Award winning fleets, have established and maintained high standards of operation, while demonstrating consistent sustainability practices throughout their operations.
“To be successful, the right attitude is fundamental,” said Condran. “You have to come to work everyday and walk the walk. While important, you can’t allow the issues to be the primary cycle of discussion. You must remain positive. The key is to come to work everyday with the right attitude and perform a good job. This should be more than your work — this is your vocation. We are part of an industry. We work for a great city.”