Fuel costs force towns to rethink vehicle use

The global affect of the soaring prices of fuel, coupled with the increase in fuel consumption, has hit the homefront. According to the Energy Information Administration, crude oil prices at the end of May reached $121.92 per barrel.

Municipalities in Marion County are joining others in devising ways to stretch their dollars and pinch their pennies when it comes to covering the cost of fuel and its impact on budgets.

“What we’re doing right now is encouraging employees to do all they can to conserve.” Marion County Administrator Tim Harper said he is advising department heads to monitor trips and not to leave their vehicles’ engines running when idling. Harper said it is also becoming more important to seek out the cheapest fuel prices, but adds there isn’t much that can be done to drastically reduce the cost.

The City of Marion published a notice on May 28, telling citizens of a plan to have the street and sanitation departments begin a four-day, 10-hour work week, Monday through Thursday. The hours of operation will be from 6 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

In case of emergencies, such as working funerals or removing debris from blocked roadways, workers will be on call on Fridays.

According to the National Solid Waste Management Association report in 2006, higher fuel prices continue to affect all solid waste and recycling haulers, regardless of whether they are public or private, adding that a typical waste truck gets 2.8 miles per gallon and uses 8,600 gallons of fuel per year.

Mullins City Planner Pete Rogers said that city could also follow the new 10-hour work day plan.

“We’re looking at it. If nothing else, it would save employees gas money coming back and forth to work,” he said. However, he wants to try and keep City Hall open on Fridays for normal hours so customers are not inconvenienced.

Mullins Police Chief Russell Bass said officers are stepping up foot patrols and are parking in high crime areas more extensively.

“Of course, we can’t stop patrols, but we’ll make our rounds,” he said.

Rogers also said that looking into getting alternative vehicles is a possibility.

Gas prices this past week, according to AAA’s media site, in South Carolina, averaged $3.797 a gallon.

Marion’s Alan Ammons, assistant to the Mayor, said the move to a four-day work week wouldn’t necessarily save the city on salary expenses, but it would on fuel costs because of what it takes to start up and shut down equipment each day.

At the end of 30 days, Ammons said, the city will have “hard figures” to see if the changes implemented will save the taxpayers any money. The city has 12-13 trucks in the sanitation and streets departments, he said, adding that other municipalities are making similar changes. Newberry is another South Carolina town making such changes, he said.

We think if it saves us $50 a day, that’s a savings, he added.