Some 881 state cars and trucks are are scheduled for auction on Saturday, part of the state fleet – not counting state police vehicles – cut from 4,082 on January 1 to a current total of 3,201.
Governor Rell issued an executive order in February for fleet reductions. The order goes well beyond requiring a minimum 20 percent reduction in the state fleet – a goal that has already been already met. The order also gave the Department of Administrative Services (DAS) final authority over buying and maintaining all state vehicles except the specialized vehicles needed by the Department of Transportation. In addition, the order imposes stricter rules on when and why state employees can use a state-owned vehicle, taking cars away from most state agency commissioners and employees who drive recklessly or speed.
The DAS is developing a plan to place multi-agency motor pools in strategic geographic locations throughout the state expected to be in place by Oct. 1, 2009. Any car or light truck purchased by DAS after Jan. 1 must be classified by the U.S. EPA as “best in its class” for gasoline mileage unless DAS determines the vehicle is not available or is too expensive.
The auction will be held at the DAS surplus lot behind the Department of Motor Vehicles building at 60 State St. in Wethersfield. Cars can be viewed beginning at 8:30 a.m.; the auction begins at 10 a.m. Attendance is free; there is a $5 registration fee to bid.
Note: Buyers pay a 10 percent premium over the auction price. Payment must be made by cash or certified check. A 20 percent cash deposit is required once the winning bid is declared. The balance must be paid within two business days.
C-Level. News.
The Magazine