July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
County struggles with rising fuel cost (10/13/05)
Council OKs funds to pay for higher-than-expected fuel bills
By By Mike Snyder-
It’s a problem we can all relate to: The cost of fueling up county vehicles has gone way, way up.
Jay County’s Sheriff and highway department superintendent each asked for, and received, money from the Jay County Council to pay for gas and related supplies.
The council approved a $50,000 additional appropriation Tuesday from the highway general fund, and $9,000 in transfers in the sheriff’s department budget after the heads of both departments said they have nearly exhausted their 2005 fuel budgets.
Jay County Sheriff Todd Penrod and highway superintendent Ken Wellman said Wednesday night they hoped the actions would be enough to get their respective departments through the remainder of 2005.
Wellman said that when this year’s budget was adopted in August of 2004, the per-gallon price on bulk diesel was $1.19. A delivery of bio-diesel was recently ordered at approximately $3 a gallon, although Wellman said a federal energy grant should reduce that price slightly.
The highway department uses approximately 7,000 gallons of fuel per month for its dump and pick-up trucks.
Wellman said after Wednesday night’s meeting that he is considering the possibility of pairing up employees to “patrol” and do maintenance on county roads to cut down on fuel consumption.
Penrod said he is not planning on instituting any mandatory fuel conservation measures such as increased stationary patrols. He received permission to transfer $9,000 to gas and oil from a deputies line item, and $7,000 to utilities from jailers to pay a higher-than-expected bill for natural gas. Also completed Wednesday was a transfer of $3,000 to garage and motor from deputies to pay for replacement of a blown engine in a patrol car.
Also approved Wednesday by council members Todd Wickey, Judy LeMaster, Gerald Kirby, George Meehan, Jack Houck and Marilyn Coleman were additional appropriations of $10,000 to coroner autopsy expenses and $1,000 from the prosecutor’s deferral fund to help pay for a new digital video recorder for the Portland Police Department. Jay County Coroner Mark Barnett said he is out of money in this year’s budget because of an increasing number of required autopsies.
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Jay County’s Sheriff and highway department superintendent each asked for, and received, money from the Jay County Council to pay for gas and related supplies.
The council approved a $50,000 additional appropriation Tuesday from the highway general fund, and $9,000 in transfers in the sheriff’s department budget after the heads of both departments said they have nearly exhausted their 2005 fuel budgets.
Jay County Sheriff Todd Penrod and highway superintendent Ken Wellman said Wednesday night they hoped the actions would be enough to get their respective departments through the remainder of 2005.
Wellman said that when this year’s budget was adopted in August of 2004, the per-gallon price on bulk diesel was $1.19. A delivery of bio-diesel was recently ordered at approximately $3 a gallon, although Wellman said a federal energy grant should reduce that price slightly.
The highway department uses approximately 7,000 gallons of fuel per month for its dump and pick-up trucks.
Wellman said after Wednesday night’s meeting that he is considering the possibility of pairing up employees to “patrol” and do maintenance on county roads to cut down on fuel consumption.
Penrod said he is not planning on instituting any mandatory fuel conservation measures such as increased stationary patrols. He received permission to transfer $9,000 to gas and oil from a deputies line item, and $7,000 to utilities from jailers to pay a higher-than-expected bill for natural gas. Also completed Wednesday was a transfer of $3,000 to garage and motor from deputies to pay for replacement of a blown engine in a patrol car.
Also approved Wednesday by council members Todd Wickey, Judy LeMaster, Gerald Kirby, George Meehan, Jack Houck and Marilyn Coleman were additional appropriations of $10,000 to coroner autopsy expenses and $1,000 from the prosecutor’s deferral fund to help pay for a new digital video recorder for the Portland Police Department. Jay County Coroner Mark Barnett said he is out of money in this year’s budget because of an increasing number of required autopsies.
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