SLC Fleet Spending Less On Gas, Even as Prices Rise

None by KCPW

(KCPW News) Salt Lake City's police cars, fire trucks, snowplows and other vehicles are a hungry lot when it comes to fuel. But even in the face of rising gas prices, Fleet Manager Lamont Nelson says next year's fuel budget isn't rising:

"We're running more hybrids now. We're elminating all SUVs as they come to replacement - replacing them with smaller, more fuel-efficient cars," says Nelson. "So, we are seeing a savings in that area."

Nelson says a new policy that restricts personal use of police cars is also reducing fuel usage. About 60-percent of the city's fleet currently runs on biodiesel. Nelson says his department has also been successful at budgeting for price increases like the one currently stretching consumers:

"It's like a big roller coaster with peaks and valleys. We're going into the peak time now, but hopefully in the fall we'll go back in the valley," says Nelson. "Eventhough it's high now, we're still anticipating we'll be a little under by the end of that next fiscal year."

Though fuel costs will not increase, Nelson is requesting a 12-percent bump in next year's budget to replace vehicles and hire a full-time employee to oversee environmental efforts. The Salt Lake City Council will review the fleet's budget requests tonight.

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