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Perry County narrows fuel-bid testing requirement to widen competition
Summary
Commissioners voted to remove an explicit, costly testing requirement in the county's fuel bid specification to broaden potential bidders while maintaining vehicle-quality standards.
Perry County commissioners voted to modify the county's fuel bid specifications after commissioners and highway staff said the existing testing requirement effectively restricted bidders to refineries and co‑ops that conduct batch testing.
Chair (SEG 1073) said the testing provision in the current spec pushed business toward refineries that test product regularly and could discourage local suppliers. Staff recounted past winter gelling problems and explained why previous specifications and treatments were chosen to avoid equipment issues.
After discussion about supply reliability and testing costs, the board unanimously approved a motion to eliminate the costly on‑site testing requirement while retaining federal specification references and minimum vehicle quality standards. The goal is to increase the pool of bidders and reduce procurement costs without sacrificing product performance.
The modification requires updating bid documents and posting revised specifications on the county website; staff agreed to incorporate related fuel product lines (off‑road/on‑road diesel, unleaded gasoline) into a single bid package for clarity.
The board did not direct rebidding as an immediate action but authorized staff to advertise the updated specifications when ready.
