Ninth Generation

233. Brian Eric "Fuzzy" RENNER¹ was born on July 10, 1957 in Franklin, Johnson Co., Ind.. RN - 170
ORIGINAL ENTRIES, 12 Apr. 1964.
ADDITIONS, 15 June 1985; 26 June 1989; 11 Aug. 1990.
Renner Family Record.
Claudia May Renner Cline, Mahalasville, Morgan Co., Ind.

Receive degrees from Purdue

Twenty-four Purdue University students from Morgan County completed degree requirements at Purdue University in May, and along with students who finished their degrees last December and August, were eligible to participate in Purdue's 128th commencement May 17 and 18.
The graduates, listed by hometown address and degree received are:
- - - Brian Eric Renner, R. R. 3, BS, Forestry; - - -
(Reporter, Martinsville, Indiana, May 31, 1980.)

State's mechanic tries to keep wheels of government rolling
Keeping up with routine car maintenance is no easy task for Brian Renner.
Renner, superintendent of the Department of Administration motor pool, is responsible for keeping about 900 state-owned cars in road worthy condition.
What's Renner's problem?
Motor pool vehicles — including sedans, light trucks and vans — are used by state employees who work in offices scattered across the state.
About 750 vehicles are leased to various state agencies who then assign them on a permanent basis to individual employees. The remainder of Renner's fleet is reserved for state employees who may need cars for just a day or two at a time.
But without a computer, Renner said, keeping track of when each car is due for an oil change or other important maintenance is nearly impossible.
"We try to get them in every 5,000 miles for an oil change and lube, every 15,000 miles for a tune-up," Renner said. "But with so many vehicles we can't do any tracking without a computer. We have to depend on the drivers to work with us and keep in touch.
"Some of the drivers are pretty good, but there are some people who are neglectful as hell."
Compounding the tracking problem is the fact that pool car drivers are not always able to bring their vehicles in to the shop when one of Renner's 16 mechanics has time to work on it. In addition to conducting routine maintenance, motor pool mechanics also perform repairs. "Computerization has got to come," Renner said.
Computer programs are available that could show pool mechanics when each car in the fleet is due for an oil change or other maintenance, Renner said.
The motor pool chief added that purchasing might become more cost efficient with computerization.
If records were kept on each car model owned by the state, purchasing agents could use the information to determine which models are cheapest to operate.
"Right now I don't know for sure which models are running well and which aren't," Renner said.
Renner's boss, Department of Administration Commissioner Orval D. Lundy, agrees that it is necessary to place motor pool records in computer files. However, while workers are starting to transfer some information to computer tapes, Lundy reports that it may be some time before all necessary information can be typed into the system.
In the meantime, Renner said, missing maintenance may continue to result in costly car repairs down the road.
— By WILLIAM J. SEDIVY STAR STAFF WRITER (The Indianapolis Star, Indianapolis, Indiana, September 8, 1985.)

New state motor pool system measures staff's efficiency
By DAVID J. REMONDINI STAR STAFF WRITER
The state has begun measuring efficiency in its motorpool garage in the same manner as private automotive repair shops.
State officials believe the new system will increase productivity by setting time limits for specific jobs. That gives managers hard data for personnel evaluations and possible merit raises.
John R. Weliever, commissioner of the department of administration, estimated that using the flat-rate labor guidelines could increase productivity and get a higher output equivalent to at least $200,000 a year.
Potentially, the system could be expanded to the motor pools of the department of highways and Indiana State Police, Weliever said. The system has several good points, he said.
"To the taxpayers, it means that by a standard industry measurement, they are getting a dollar's worth of work for a dollar's worth of pay," said Weliever. Who owns a General Motors Corp. dealership in Martinsville.
"What it means to the technician is they are building a record they can use as a performance evaluation. It takes the subjectiveness out of their job review and makes it objective."
The guidelines say replacing a water pump takes two hours. If it takes the mechanic four hours, he or she is only working at 50 percent efficiency.
"If it takes just one hour, the efficiency rate is 200 percent", Weliever said.
As of Friday, the motor pool at New York and West streets had used the new system for 12 weeks.
In the first week, the eight mechanics operated at 60.7 percent efficiency. But as they began to understand the system, the efficiency rate jumped to 95.7 percent in the second week and above 100 percent twice in the subsequent nine weeks, Weliever said.
Although the efficiency is averaging in the 90 to 95 percent range — slightly below private industry — the transition has not been entirely smooth.
Some mechanics have struggled with the new system and expressed resentment at it. They have felt pressured by having to "make the time" that is spelled out in the flat-rate guidelines.
"There is a little more hostile attitude by some people if they get a job that they know might be hard for them to make time on," said mechanics supervisor David R. Knapp.
Knapp, who except for a brief stint in the private sector has worked at the motor pool for nine years, said mechanics probably will feel better if they find the system is used to justify pay increases. To date, that has not happened.
"There has been no increase in pay or anything to encourage them to like this system," Knapp said.
"But the longer we're working with the system, the less hostile they become because they are learning to work smarter. I'd say it is general resistance to change."
Motor Pool Superintendent Brian E. Renner embraces the flat rate concept even though he has never used it before.
"I knew the labor rate time guidelines existed, but we never utilized them. When talking to Mr. Weliever, I felt bad we couldn't document our efficiency, whether is was good or bad," said Renner, the son of former state revenue Commissioner M. F. "Bud" Renner.
Until now, he said, he has been guided only by the number of complaints from state agency employees who drive the cars, trucks, vans and other equipment serviced in the garage. Renner agrees that the new system puts additional pressure on mechanics. But he insists quality hasn't dropped.
"I didn't want to see quality go down because of a guy thinking, 'I've got to make time. I've got to make time. What you are seeing is they are planning better and taking more time to read the complaint cards," he said.
The state's effort was applauded by James B. Garvie, superintendent of the Central Equipment Management Division for the Indianapolis Department of Public Works. Garvie's mechanics use a different version of the flat rate system in their motor pool.
"I would say that basically it is a good approach. Essentially, they are doing a good thing because they are evaluating their quality and their production." Garvie said.
But he added: "You are dealing with all different kinds of manufacturers. So it isn't a simple thing to break down a flat rate for government type entities. I'm not knocking it. But it is a very complicated thing." (The Indianapolis Star, Indianapolis, Indiana, June 11, 1989.)

Brian Eric "Fuzzy" RENNER and Peggy Joan FITZGERALD were married on June 1, 1985 in Indianapolis, Marion Co., Ind..
ORIGINAL ENTRIES, 15 June 1985.
ADDITIONS, 26 June 1989; 11 Aug. 1990.
RN=170.
Claudia May Renner Cline, Morgan Co., Ind.

Brian Eric "Fuzzy" RENNER and Peggy Joan FITZGERALD had the following children:

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i.

Danielle Nicole RENNER.1 ORIGINAL ENTRIES, 26 June 1989. ADDITIONS, 11 Aug. 1990; 24 Aug. 1992. Claudia May Renner Cline, Mahalasville, Morgan Co., Ind.