The Starke County Commissioners approved a fuel contract for the highway department with the Starke County Co-Op during their meeting Tuesday.
Starke County Co-Op Energy Manager Eric Fier addressed the commissioners on locking in a set price range of fuel for 12 to18 months for the county. He stated prices on fuel change by the day and in his opinion locking in now would ensure the county saves money. It was noted with it being an election year, the price of fuel is unknown the farther the year goes on. At this time the price range available from the Starke County Co-Op was anywhere between $3.26 to $3.36 per gallon of fuel.
Starke County Highway Interim Superintendent Rachel Oesterreich stated the highway department currently has a 20,000 gallon fuel tank and doesn’t believe the county would use more than 7,500 gallons of fuel per month. Oesterreich told WKVI News, 7,500 gallons is exactly the amount of fuel a Starke County Co-Op tanker holds.
After some discussion the commissioners agreed this would be the best option in making sure the county is able to save money on fuel costs. A motion was made to approve the above listed price range along with 7,500 gallons of fuel per month from the Starke County Co-Op to the highway department. That motion was seconded and passed unanimously by vote.
