The finance committee heard that Waukesha consolidated fleet maintenance under a single fleet manager to standardize processes and improve upkeep of a large municipal fleet that includes construction equipment, mowers and vehicles across departments.

John Wyankoff, fleet manager, said the consolidation followed a Park & Recreation mechanic retirement and was intended to create efficiencies rather than stand up a separate mechanics shop. Wyankoff described the workload as covering roughly 600 pieces of equipment (from hand tools to heavy machinery) and said the city’s goal is to improve uptime and maintenance consistency.

Wyankoff said the fleet group has made progress but remains short-staffed; the department had been able to fill three mechanic positions but faces another imminent retirement that will add pressure during winter when maintenance needs rise. Staff asked residents or prospective applicants to consider mechanic openings; officials said hiring remains the biggest near-term operational challenge for fleet services.