Commissioners pause jail fueling-station work as public and sheriff urge review; termination fee flagged

Commissioners heard extended public comment and staff updates about a proposed fueling station tied to the new Boone County Justice Center and agreed to pause final decisions while collecting more information.

The discussion centered on funding, potential savings and contract exposure. Commissioner Scott Bell said late information indicated Hagerman Construction would require about $335,000 if the county elected to terminate the fueling-station agreement. Bell said that reimbursement would have to come from county general funds because bond proceeds tied to the Justice Center are limited to construction purposes.

Sheriff Tony Harris emailed the board urging a pause; in his message he recommended holding $2 million for other needs at the not-yet-completed Justice Center and questioned whether the fueling-station contract should proceed before staff and commissioners can review maintenance, spill liability and long-term operating costs. In public comment, several residents and elected officials echoed calls for more transparency and for a fuller financial analysis before committing to the station.

County staff and contractors provided cost and savings estimates that varied. Donnie (commissioner) cited data from Taylor Oil showing transport-load purchases could be about $0.50 per gallon cheaper on average, which the county's staff estimated could mean roughly $110,000'$120,000 per year in fuel cost savings if the county consumes about 220,000 gallons annually. Staff also presented alternate vendor data showing smaller per-gallon savings (as low as $0.22 per gallon) and said payback estimates ranged widely (roughly 11 to more than 50 years, depending on assumptions and which vendor data were used). Commissioner discussion noted the 15-year payback figure often quoted did not include ongoing maintenance or lifecycle replacement of tanks and equipment.

Commissioners also recorded that the fuel purchase budget for county vehicles is currently funded through operating budgets and that fuel currently purchased under a cooperative (Co-op) arrangement has, in 2024, been as low as $2.70 per gallon in contracted purchases. Staff said the fueling facility under design would have about 15,000 gallons of storage per tank (two tanks) and that transport-load purchases (large deliveries) would require larger storage to realize the full price advantage.

Multiple public commenters, including Jennifer Lasley (Boone County Assessor) and Jody Stewart (resident), asked that commissioners slow the process, publish the procurement details and allow more time for review. Councilman Aaron Williams and others asked for documentation of who was contacted, what bids or quotes exist, and what invoices or work was approved before contract signature. Commissioners agreed to table further action on the fueling-station decision pending additional analysis and wider distribution of cost and contract details.

Ending: Commissioners instructed staff to gather more competitive price data, quantify maintenance and spill-liability costs, and clarify which budget lines or bond proceeds could legally pay termination costs or ongoing operations before returning the matter to a future public agenda.