Sandy Springs, Ga., is a relatively young city, approaching its 20th birthday. Despite its youth, it is embarking on a project to exercise more control over its municipal fleet by bringing maintenance of that fleet in-house.

To achieve proper fleet maintenance for a wide range of equipment, Sandy Springs prioritizes best practices that ensure safety and cost-effectiveness through regular inspections and preventive maintenance. As part of that effort, the city needed a dedicated facility.

Carter Long, communications and public relations director in Sandy Springs, Ga., works with Mayor Rusty Paul. Long noted that very careful, thorough research and planning went into the decision to bring maintenance in house and create the new facility.

“For example, in the early days, our police headquarters had just one desk dedicated to managing that fleet. This setup required the individual to outsource services.

“We then upgraded to a temporary fleet center that the city acquired. While this was an improvement, we knew that the building would need demolishing to pave the way for a redevelopment project. Recognizing the need for a permanent facility capable of servicing our modern fleet and addressing the rising cost of gas, we determined that a new fleet center was essential,” she explained. “Such a facility would also ensure the city’s operational continuity during a crisis, eliminating our reliance on external service centers and fueling stations.”

The new fleet center is a pre-engineered metal building and comprised of four bays, a fueling station, office space, parking and even an outdoor picnic area. Additionally, an above-ground stormwater management facility and utility infrastructure were installed.

“It’s dedicated to installing and maintaining vehicle technology, as well as retrofitting specialized equipment. It does not handle general mechanical repairs, but it does offer basic vehicle fluids, wiper blade replacement and replacement tires.”

Throughout the construction project, Sandy Springs provided weekly reports from its contractor — Reeves Young — on the project through the city website. These reports included current construction activities, jobsite photos, weather reports, a safety report and milestone tracking. These reports stretched from the project’s start on Aug. 21, 2023, through to its conclusion in May 2024. Following its completion, city council members gathered on June 3 for a ribbon-cutting ceremony in front of the service bays.

Long added that the fleet center significantly reduces fuel cost for over 300 vehicles. “For instance, so far in FY 25, it has dispensed over 33,000 gallons of fuel, leading to savings of more than $31,500.” It is staffed by two people who did not require additional training.

Construction was funded from the Sandy Springs Capital Improvement Plan. The annual operation of the center is funded as a line item in the city’s budget.

Long realized that many cities established internal fleet management long ago. For smaller cities like hers, which are perhaps still on the cusp, she recommended evaluating the cost benefits of managing those services internally versus outsourcing them.

“Since opening in June, our fleet center has delivered only positive outcomes for the city of Sandy Springs,” she noted.

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