HILLSBORO, OR - Three City of Hillsboro, Ore., departments are asking city councilors to green-light a $17 million plan to build a new maintenance facility for the city's vehicle fleet, reported the Hillsboro Argus.

The existing three-acre site, with buildings totaling 24,000 square feet, was built in 1968, and Hillsboro population has increased from 15,000 to 90,000 since then.

Hillsboro Public Works project manager Tom Arnold said the city needs facilities that are at least double that size, as significant staff time is spent shuffling vehicles around.

Councilors were concerned about funding and the cost savings of having the new maintenance yard. One councilor wanted more information on the cost savings of upgrading the site.

Councilors have also asked the department to look at having multiple maintenance yards, or co-locating maintenance services with those of another city. But putting the fleet in another city would cause commute problems for vehicles, Arnold said.

Public works staff say an ideal new facility would be at least nine acres, with three acres available for expansion to accommodate the city's 40-year growth projections, according to the Hillsboro Argus.