Georgia County Government - September 2008 - (Page 45)

ResearchCorner Conserving Fuel Costs in Your County F By Michele NeSmith Research and Policy Development Director Adopt a telework policy or flex schedule to help your employees keep their fuel costs down. uel prices are on the rise with no immediate relief in sight. Although fuel prices are increasing, the demand for government services is not decreasing. In order for counties to provide these services without passing along the increased cost to the consumer, measures can be taken to cut back on fuel costs. In May, Association County Commissioners of Georgia (ACCG) informally surveyed county managers and administrators on how they have conserved fuel in their county. Fifteen counties responded that they had implemented a four-day, 10-hour workweek for one or more of their departments. Although most of these counties had implemented this abbreviated schedule for their road department, some counties use it for their public works, finance or maintenance departments. A couple of counties reported using it as a flex-time option for some or all of their departments. Many counties that have implemented the four-day, 10-hour workweek for their road departments are looking into expanding the program to all departments. According to the survey respondents, this schedule has proved to be very beneficial to the road department in that most counties that have had this program in place over time have experienced increased productivity and reduced fuel costs. Hart County reported that it cut the first out and last in trips by 20 percent. Evans County reported that the new schedule saved eight round trips per vehicle per week from the shop to the jobsite and back. Although most counties that reported adopting a four-day, 10-hour work week for their road departments gave favorable reviews, one respondent claimed that the savings were not what they had anticipated and that they experienced problems with their employees with holiday pay. Employees that are working the four-day, 10-hour work schedule must take two hours of leave, not get paid for two hours of work or work two extra hours to make up the time they get off for holidays, which are eight-hour days. The holiday schedule was mentioned by several respondents as being the biggest issue with adopting this type of schedule; however, most respondents claimed that over time the employees adjusted to it. Aside from the four-day, 10-hour work week, there are other ways to cut fuel cost for your county. One survey respondent is using software to track truck routes through GPS tracking in or order to determine more efficient routes. Instead of holding meetings that require employees from other departments to drive in to the main office, consider using conference calls or teleconferences. Trim your travel budget by getting employees to carpool to events or have them seek out training opportunities that are available through Web casts. Adopt a telework policy or flex schedule to help your employees keep their fuel costs down. There are many ways that your county can become more fuel efficient. Please visit the ACCG Web site at www.accg.org on fuel conservation methods for additional tips. ■ Many counties that have implemented the four-day, 10-hour workweek for their road departments are looking into expanding the program to all departments. SEPTEMBER 2008 www.accg.org 45 http://www.accg.org http://www.accg.org

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Georgia County Government - September 2008

Georgia County Government - September 2008 Contents President’s Message County Matters Cobb County: Quality of Life is Job No. 1 Innovative Transportation Financing in Georgia Drive Your Fleet into the Next Generation of Efficiency, Profits Spotlight: Georgia Technology Authority Media Productions GEMA News: Hurricane Season Could Cause Natural Gas Spike GDEcD News: Communities Receive Funds to Develop Tourism Assets Georgia’s Grand Old Courthouses: Upson County Extension News: Radon: Georgia’s Silent Danger Research Corner: Conserving Fuel Costs in Your County Staff News County Parade Index of Advertisers

Georgia County Government - September 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.