Public works fuel contract goes to second bidder

Whitman County Commissioners have accepted a bid for the installation of an Automated Fuel Management System for the Public Works Department.

Originally accepting a bid of $44,700 Dec. 29, the bid was later rejected as “non-responsive” by Public Works Director Mark Storey, because of deficiencies, including the wrong equipment specified in the call for bids.

In turn, the commissioners rescinded the approval and instead took the second bid of $80,565 from Trak Engineering of Tallahassee, Fla.

The work is to put in a computerized system to inventory and track fuel usage by the Public Works Department.

The tracking system will monitor eight diesel tanks from which employees fill trucks, road-graders, front-end loaders and more.

“Before we’ve tracked fuel just using dipsticks and by gosh and by golly,” said Storey.

With the new system, the tanks will function on a card-lock system with a key code. Each operator will have an individual code, which will determine the total gallons pumped and by whom.

“We spend up to $70,000 in fuel per month. It’s something we should track,” Storey said.

The system is expected to be in place sometime this spring.