(8/15) Carroll Valley Borough Council moved forward with authorizing a GPS monitoring system for up to 20 borough vehicles. New road foreman, Brad Sanders, presented the council with information about Geotab, a fleet tracking and "live monitoring system,’ that can record and provide real time vehicle feedback, he said.
The tracking system plugs in under the vehicle dashboard and can monitor vehicle information including location, speed, fuel consumption, and seatbelt violations. The system also provides a 24-hour history of roads traveled. The cost for the upgrades would include a $1,105 installation fee, plus a $17.50 per month fee per vehicle for maintenance, according to Sanders.
The automatic technology system investment could extend the use of the borough’s vehicles by cutting down on idle time and cause the vehicles to run more efficiently, said Borough Manager David Hazlett. "We have invested millions into our equipment, I don’t have any qualms about this whatsoever," he said.
The live system update monitoring would also be especially useful and provide peace of mind during snow removal to easily track vehicle locations, what roads have been traveled, and at what time, Hazlett said. Council member Robert Verderaime expressed initial hesitation that the total cost would come to over $4,000 a year if all 20 municipal vehicles were upgraded with the monitoring systems in a time when every dollar must be counted – but eventually warmed up to the essential use of the systems.
"I see this paying for itself and then some," council member John Schubring said. Hazlett was confident that borough staff could trim the fat from other categories of next year’s budget to pay for the monitoring systems without increasing expenditures in other departments. "It’s really good technology and we’re committed to making this work financially." Hazlett said.
