The second of four fuel audits from City Auditor Laura Doud’s office has been released, analyzing the fuel operation overseen by the Harbor following its former analysis of the City’s fleet services.
The Harbor consumed around 109,000 gallons last year, at a cost to the City of $387,600 via an estimated 9,000 transactions at two fueling locations. That cost is up from the $354,700 cost of 2011 and drastically higher than the $285,900 cost of 2010.
Unlike the largest component of fuel consumption in the City–the aforementioned fleet services audit, which permitted employees to access fuel through an archaic key system that ultimately made the consumption vulnerable to abuse–the auditor’s office praised the Harbor for using a more efficient fuel ring system for 97% of its fuel consumption.
Fuel rings are described as “physical rings placed around the fuel tanks of Harbor vehicles and can only be installed by trained technicians.” These rings are then programmed to specific vehicle numbers, unlocking the pump only when within two inches of the fuel nozzle. Harbor claims, though not verified by the audit, that 161 vehicles use the rings.
The other two methods of accessing fuel–box rings and master remotes, which only account for 3% of Harbor’s fuel access–appear to be minute in causing unusual transactions.
Overall, the “review of system data found minimal transactions that appeared unusual. Therefore, it appears the fuel rings are working as intended and serving the purpose of restricting access to the majority of fuel usage.”
Read the full audit below.
Read more:
- First of Four Fuel Audits Discovers Vulnerable Consumption Oversights
- Audit Reveals that Oil Production, Oil Taxes ‘Complete and Reliable’
- City Auditor: $2.4 to $2.6M in Delinquent Business License Accounts Uncollected
Citywide Fuel Expenditures Audit Harbor Department: September, 2013