Title
Public Works Automatic Vehicle Locator System - Purchase
History
The Public Works Utility and PACE Divisions have Board approved line items budgeted for the purchase, installation and software support of Automatic Vehicle Locators (AVL) in twenty-two of their vehicles (20 Utility Division, 2 PACE buses). The installation of AVLs will provide our staff with real time vehicle status and vehicle history, including automated reports such as routes traveled, geofencing and zone reporting (vehicle exits user defined boundaries), position, speed, idle time, heading, distances traveled and driver recognition utilizing a chip key encoded with the employee name. Reports will also be generated, saving staff time, for snowplow trucks (e.g. salt and liquid deicing usage, pavement and air temperature, and miles driven) that have the compatible salt controller. These reports will provide a more accurate and consistent tracking and evaluation of each snow event than the current reports completed by each driver. The use of AVLs will result in improved snow route management, which reduces miles driven, fuel consumption and vehicle maintenance. AVL will also improve communication between workers, clerical and supervisory staff by providing a clear understanding of vehicle location for response to resident requests and emergencies.
In 2011, staff began research for an AVL system that best suits Village wide needs and specifically the Public Works snowplow fleet. Four vendors were selected to install their respective systems in our vehicles for a thirty-day trial. Of the four vendors, staff determined that the system provided by Precise MRM, LLC. of Burnsville, Minnesota, was most effective. For further evaluation, Precise MRM installed their AVL system in two of Public Works snowplow vehicles for use during the December 2011 snow season. Based on this trial, staff purchased the two AVLs for extended use to ensure they fully met the needs of the Village. This AVL sy...
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