Problem Statement:

The City of Nampa is honored to nominate the Public Works Department Fleet Services Division for the 2020 Innovation Idea Award. Fleet Services efforts have been instrumental in enhancing customer service, operational productivity, and strategically addressing immediate and long-term needs for the Public Works Department as well as other City departments and divisions.

The Fleet Services Division (“Fleet”), led by Superintendent Doug Adams, is responsible for maintaining and repairing one of the most diverse fleets in the state with 591 vehicles and pieces of equipment valued at over $13.5 million. Eleven highly trained staff oversee the maintenance, procurement, strategic planning, and environmental requirements for vehicles including fire apparatus, heavy equipment, police cruisers, police motorcycles, parks machinery, general vehicles and small engines. Doug and the Fleet team provide a high level of customer service to the largest full-service City in Idaho with over twenty City divisions and departments including utilities, streets, parks, police, and fire.

Summary of Solution:

In 2019, Fleet developed a five-year workforce plan to enhance customer service, improve operational efficiency and continue to develop a positive and proactive work culture. The collaborative process recognized a 10% reduction in maintenance and repair costs and set a goal of 80% real-time shop productivity (above industry standards).

Fleet, in partnership with Public Works Business Manager Jacob Allen, reinvented the way services are provided by successfully developing and implementing the City’s first Fleet Services Master Plan in 2015. The team prepared a strategic equipment replacement matrix to maximize the use of equipment and minimize maintenance costs and downtime. The plan established a long-term replacement schedule reducing overall costs and setting more uniform budget amounts. These efforts have increased productivity and elevated the overall level of service to the City.

Labor, Equipment, Materials:

Fleet installed a 4-wheel alignment machine and emission control testing equipment in FY19. All staff secured state certified emissions inspector certificates. Fleet streamlined the emissions testing system, conducting 100% of 4-wheel alignments and emissions testing in-house.

Rather than outsourcing the vehicles and motorcycles, Fleet staff will absorb the extra hours to complete the work in-house – Increasing police and fire up-fit capacity and adding emission control and alignment capability.

Summary of Expenses:

N/A

Savings/Benefit of this Solution:

Fleet mirrors the City of Nampa’s mission to provide high level customer service productivity and efficiency. Currently, Fleet saves the City $73,000 in outsourced costs annually and has identified the need to expand their facilities to increase operational capacity by adding auto body and paint capabilities.

Problem Statement:

The Northgate Interchange represents an unprecedented partnership between six public and private entities that will increase mobility and economic opportunity along the Interstate 15 corridor. This project has been in the works since 2005 when Pocatello Creek and US-91 north of I-86 was degraded to a Level of Service C/D. The Bannock Transportation Planning Organization’s long range plan predicted the largest growth and traffic change would be in the north part of the Portneuf Valley. The Environmental Assessment was also started in 2005 and approved in 2010. As development continued in the Northgate area, the private developer pledged to move forward with the needed roads as they were imperative to developing the land to make the master plan start to materialize. State code presented challenges to private entities conducting this work and being reimbursed. State actors chose to assume the risk and pledged to plan for the interchange, noting that the project could not be started until 2030 at best. Through communication, innovation, and compromise the six players were able to come to a unique agreement that would empower all players to feel a sense of ownership and contribution. The Northgate Interchange was completed 15 years ahead of what was thought to be possible.

Summary of Solution:

With all of the technological advances of the 21st Century, relationships are still the cornerstone of successful projects. Regardless of how sophisticated our ideas, design, or community need is, if funds are not available for a project it will not happen. The Northgate interchange in Pocatello is a visionary example of the power of innovation, if groups come together with a common goal.

What was once a futuristic pipedream of an interchange connecting the outskirts of Chubbuck with Pocatello is now a fully functioning reality thanks to a Public Private Partnership (P3). Through funding provided by: City of Pocatello, City of Chubbuck, Bannock County, Idaho Department of Transportation, Pocatello Development Authority, and Millennial Development, the Northgate Interchange was finished 15 years earlier than masterplans suggested it could be. The project cost was over 12 million dollars and took just over two years to complete. This project was made possible through the innovative cooperation of officials at the State, County and City levels as well as the private sector.

Labor, Equipment, Materials:

This project budget was over 12 million dollars.

Summary of Expenses:

This project budget was over 12 million dollars.

Savings/Benefit of this Solution:

It’s hard to quantify the savings of this approach. The project was completed 10 years earlier than projected without the public private partnership. If we estimate that construction costs go up by 3% annually, we can estimate that just with building material inflation total costs would have been over $16,000,000. With conservative estimates we project the public private partnership saved tax payers and private companies over 4 million dollars.