Washington County Commissioners opted to delay their decision regarding repairs to the County’s fuel station at their Thursday, July 8 meeting.
Chairman Horace Daniel stated that Commissioners would not vote during the July meeting; he went on to say that the Commissioners will continue to study their options, and further discuss the matter at their August meeting.
As previously reported by WACO 100, the County’s fuel station quit working several months ago. This station is used to fuel county vehicles such as Road Department vehicles, patrol vehicles for the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, and County fire trucks.
When the fuel system ceased to function, the County entered into an agreement with Atkinson Oil Company to allow the County vehicles to get fuel from their facility. It was noted during the June meeting that this arrangement has worked well.
A representative from MECO of Augusta/Greenville, which is a petroleum equipment supplier, attended the Tuesday, July 6 workshop to discuss options with the County Commissioners regarding upgrades and repairs to the County’s system.
The representative from MECO provided a quote in the amount of $72,390 to install a new fuel monitor with a cloud-based card system, and to install new suction dispensers that are up-to-date. He stated that this is the County’s least expensive option without replacing the underground fuel tanks. The tanks are estimated to last approximately six years.
Another option to consider includes replacing the entire fuel station with above ground tanks and a pressurized system. The County can also consider entering into an agreement with an outside company to purchase fuel.
During the Tuesday, July 6 workshop, Commissioners remarked that having their own fueling station is beneficial, especially in times of a fuel shortage.
No votes were taken during the Thursday, July 8 meeting.