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<P ALIGN=LEFT><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT COLOR="#000080" SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">Please let us know if your institution has any Escalades on its vehicle inventory. Thanks.</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN></P>
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<P ALIGN=LEFT><SPAN LANG="en-us"><B><I><FONT SIZE=4 FACE="Arial">Central Services meets with House panel</FONT></I></B></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><B></B></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><B></B></SPAN></P>
<P ALIGN=LEFT><SPAN LANG="en-us"><B><U><FONT COLOR="#0000FF">By Janice Francis-Smith <</FONT></U></B></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><A HREF="mailto:janice.francis-smith@journalrecord.com"><SPAN LANG="en-us"><B><U><FONT COLOR="#0000FF">mailto:janice.francis-smith@journalrecord.com</FONT></U></B></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN></A><SPAN LANG="en-us"><B><U><FONT COLOR="#0000FF">></FONT></U></B></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN></P>
<P ALIGN=LEFT><SPAN LANG="en-us"><I>The Journal Record</I></SPAN></P>
<P ALIGN=LEFT><SPAN LANG="en-us">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.</SPAN></P>
<P ALIGN=LEFT><SPAN LANG="en-us">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.”</SPAN></P>
<P ALIGN=LEFT><SPAN LANG="en-us">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. </SPAN></P>
<P ALIGN=LEFT><SPAN LANG="en-us">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. </SPAN></P>
<P ALIGN=LEFT><SPAN LANG="en-us">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.</SPAN></P>
<P ALIGN=LEFT><SPAN LANG="en-us">“I’d rather build a new building,” said Richard. “We’re going to be better in the future about leasing buildings.”</SPAN></P>
<P ALIGN=LEFT><SPAN LANG="en-us">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.</SPAN></P>
<P ALIGN=LEFT><SPAN LANG="en-us">“We save all those jobs,” said Richard. “That’s how I’m going to save people money.”</SPAN></P>
<P ALIGN=LEFT><SPAN LANG="en-us">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. </SPAN></P>
<P ALIGN=LEFT><SPAN LANG="en-us"><B><U>“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.”</U></B></SPAN></P>
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<P ALIGN=LEFT><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">===============================================================</FONT></SPAN></P>
<P ALIGN=LEFT><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">Bryce Fair </FONT></SPAN></P>
<P ALIGN=LEFT><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">Assoc. Vice Chancellor for Scholarships & Grants </FONT></SPAN></P>
<P ALIGN=LEFT><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education </FONT></SPAN></P>
<P ALIGN=LEFT><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">Phone: (405) 225-9162 </FONT></SPAN></P>
<P ALIGN=LEFT><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">Fax: (405) 225-9230 </FONT></SPAN></P>
<P ALIGN=LEFT><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">E-mail: </FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"> </SPAN><A HREF="mailto:bfair@osrhe.edu"><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><U><FONT COLOR="#0000FF" SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">bfair@osrhe.edu</FONT></U></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN></A><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial"> </FONT></SPAN></P>
<P ALIGN=LEFT><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">Mailing Address: </FONT></SPAN></P>
<P ALIGN=LEFT><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">P.O. Box 108850 </FONT></SPAN></P>
<P ALIGN=LEFT><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">Oklahoma City, OK 73101-8850 </FONT></SPAN></P>
<P ALIGN=LEFT><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">Street Address: </FONT></SPAN></P>
<P ALIGN=LEFT><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">655 Research Parkway, Suite 200 </FONT></SPAN></P>
<P ALIGN=LEFT><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">Oklahoma City, OK 73104</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"> </SPAN></P>
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