[Cobo] Vehicle Inventory

[Mauck, Sheri]

Please let us know if your institution has any Escalades on its vehicle
inventory.  Thanks.


Central Services meets with House panel
By Janice Francis-Smith <mailto:janice.francis-smith at journalrecord.com>
The Journal Record
The Oklahoma Department of Central Services is updating its mission and
practices to make the state more efficient, Director John Richard told
legislators on Thursday.
Richard presented members of the state House Appropriations and Budget
Subcommittee with a new mission statement for the agency. The new
mission focuses less on the agency's position as the "premier caretaker"
of the state's facilities and capital resources, as the old mission had
stated, and more on "effective and efficient state government."
Richard was appointed to the position in December, replacing Pam Warren,
who retired after an audit found the state wasted millions each year due
to lack of oversight of state vehicle purchases. A retired Army colonel,
Richard said he is finding areas throughout state government that could
be made more efficient, but each issue must be reviewed on a
case-by-case basis. 
While oftentimes it is in the state's better interest to build or
purchase buildings for agency offices rather than rent space, sometimes
renting is justified, said Richard. For instance, the Tourism and
Recreation Department offices in downtown Oklahoma City, in a space that
well serves the agency's mission and operations. 
However, though the state leases quite a bit of space at the Lincoln
Plaza complex, Richard advised against buying the older facility, which
is need of millions of dollars worth of deferred maintenance.
"I'd rather build a new building," said Richard. "We're going to be
better in the future about leasing buildings."
The agency is also finding ways to outsource certain services when it is
economical to do so. For instance, rather than employing a lot of
mechanics, the state could contract with a large auto repair shop to do
the work at a discount. Similarly, the state could contract for data
collection, construction management and other areas where appropriate.
"We save all those jobs," said Richard. "That's how I'm going to save
people money."
Already, Central Services can purchase vehicles for 34 percent less than
dealer-recommended prices due to an agreement the agency worked out with
a few auto manufacturers, he said. 
"We've already got the purchasing centralized," said Richard. "Even the
regents buy their cars from us because we're the cheapest out there. But
the cars they do not buy from us are Cadillac Escalades, because we
don't have any Cadillac Escalades on this. Now, you will find Cadillac
Escalades in the regents system. And next year, I'm going to tell you
where they are."



===============================================================

Bryce Fair 
Assoc. Vice Chancellor for Scholarships & Grants 
Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education 
Phone:  (405) 225-9162 
Fax:  (405) 225-9230 
E-mail:  bfair at osrhe.edu 
Mailing Address: 
P.O. Box 108850 
Oklahoma City, OK  73101-8850 
Street Address: 
655 Research Parkway, Suite 200 
Oklahoma City, OK  73104 
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