THE SPYGLASS: Cities save money by tracking vehicles

   When Mom watches you rake the yard, you're less apt to ditch the job to take a dip in the neighbor's pool.

   That's the principle behind a Deer Park, N.Y., company's product that it says saves cities and companies money.

   Vehicle Tracking Solutions installs boxes the size of a deck of cards inside vehicles so management can track where they go, how fast, if they're idling and other stuff.

   This allows managers to "ride along" and know if an agency's vehicles are being misused, such as being driven during off-hours when not authorized. Like when a district attorney parks his taxpayerfunded SUV outside a bar for hours on end. This little gizmo does its magic using Department of Defense satellites, and, guess what, company officials claim it can more than pay for itself in fuel savings alone, not to mention productivity gains.

   "Clients are saving money by reducing fuel consumption and labor costs while increasing deliveries or service calls - whatever the business is," a news release said.

   There's a price tag, of course, which probably means we won't be finding out anytime soon where the honchos in local government go, when and how fast. But can they afford not to buy it?

   The company's chief operating officer, Ed Teixeira, said generally, a fleet of 100 vehicles can be monitored for $100,000 the first year, and $48,000 a year the next three years.

   Assuming each vehicle cut gas use by one gallon a day at $4 per gallon, that's a $100,000 annual reduction in fuel cost, Teixeira said. Clients report the system saves them up to 13 percent on fuel costs, he said.

   Even if officials don't have a district attorney to watch, in times of budget restrictions, it's something to consider, Teixeira said. A city on Long Island just signed up its 860 vehicles, he said. There, fuel is running well over $4 a gallon.

Planet watch

   Mayor Lionel Rivera teamed with New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg at the U.S. Conference of Mayors recently to call on federal, state and local authorities to collaborate on determining how climate change affects water resources and infrastructure.

   Some worry that global warming will send snow as a water source the way of the dinosaur. Colorado Springs and many other Western cities get most of their water from the mountains, through a sophisticated series of pipes, pumps and reservoirs. But if there's no snow, pipes, pumps and reservoirs might be of little use.

   Rivera also backed a policy to keep coal in the mix to fuel the nation's homes and economy, while recognizing the need for renewables and nuclear power. Also, Rivera received a Mayor's Climate Protection Award for the city's work to boost energy efficiency and help curb global warming.

Meeting adjourned

   Colorado Springs' Independent Ethics Commission, set up a year ago, met this week for the first time since last fall when it wrote its rules.

   The meeting came after a citizen suggested Councilwoman Margaret Radford seek an opinion on the quandary raised by El Paso County's proposed sales tax hike. Radford works for the county Health Department and has expressed support for the tax, which will benefit her department as well as the city.

   But the commission voted that the citizen's suggestion didn't constitute a formal inquiry or complaint. Turns out, that's the only way the panel can get involved, regardless of how blatant an ethical lapse might be.

   Next meeting: this fall to elect the panel's officers. 
    
   CONTACT THE WRITER: 636-0238 or pam.zubeck@gazette.com