Jan. 17—Boone County Commissioner Tim Beyer wants to stop the county’s $1.9 million fueling station project. And Commissioners President Scott Pell voiced support for halting it but tabled action while he seeks more information.
Pell was attending his first commissioners meeting Monday after his election in the fall. Commissioners typically reorganize during their first yearly meeting, and Beyer nominated Pell as president, while Pell nominated Beyer as vice president. Commissioner Don Lawson agreed on both accounts.
Beyer asked to add to the agenda four topics that he wanted to revisit from previous meetings when Lawson and then Commissioner Jeff Wolfe voted against him.
Beyer asked to ratify a contract he signed in December with a company to perform an information technology, IT, assessment for the county. Only one vendor bid for the right, although another bid came in after the deadline. Lawson believed the companies were not given the proper information to form their bids and that the process should be done again with companies given specific parameters. Pell and Beyer voted to ratify the bid, while Lawson opposed.
Beyer asked again for county employee health information to supply information to a broker that wants to analyze the county’s self-funded health insurance costs and offer a savings, if possible. He’s been denied that information in the past.
County employees feared their personal health information would be released to the broker, but Beyer and county Human Resources Director Megan Smith said that only aggregate information would be released, such as how many colonoscopies in total county employees had. No individual claims would be released.
Boone County Councilman Kevin Van Horn urged commissioners to first speak with Councilman Dan Lamar, who has been an insurance agent for decades. Van Horn said the county would be sued if the wrong information is shared.
Lawson suggested the information be provided to other brokers who may also want to offer the county a package, but Beyer objected to that.
Pell said he sees both sides of the argument and asked to table a decision until their next meeting. He said he will speak with Lamar before that meeting.
Beyer also objected to a partial compensation study commissioners approved last year. The county paid $90,000 for a compensation study in 2022. It paid for an update in 2024 and has contracted for an update on 19 key positions in 2025. Beyer said the county should not pay again for something it has already paid for. He and Pell voted to cancel this year’s update. Lawson opposed.
Finally, Beyer wanted to discuss reversing the commissioners’ approval last month of a project to build a fueling station on the site of the Boone County Justice Center at 1905 Indianapolis Ave., Lebanon.
Lawson and Wolfe approved the project last month against Beyer’s objections after he asked them to wait until he could get further information. He also wanted them to wait for Pell to join the commissioners in January. Wolfe and Lawson twice tabled a decision for Beyer to study the particulars but eventually voted yes. Beyer voted no.
Beyer got more estimates regarding possible savings if the county buys fuel by the tanker, instead of smaller amounts. And he disputes figures the other two commissioners presented on savings and on how long it will take for the station to pay for itself.
“The best case scenario … based on some pretty optimistic estimates,” he said, is that it will take 20 to 50 years of savings to pay for the station.
Beyer also believes the county could ask fuel providers to sell the county fuel at the discounted tanker rate without delivering a full tanker and to bid on shorter periods to allow the county more flexibility on costs.
But Lawson said only one fuel company will bid in the way Beyer asks, and that would end competitive pricing.
Lawson reiterated the way he reached his savings estimates, based on the county’s actual fuel use and his experience of buying fuel by the tanker for his farming operation.
Max Mendenhall, the county’s director of capital investments, said the county is now paying pump prices for its gasoline. The county would take bids for each tanker it would buy for the new fueling station, he said.
“We can play the market a little bit,” Mendenhall said. “When prices drop, we can buy 10,000 gallons and ride it out a bit.”
The county uses an estimated 200,000 gallons of fuel per year.
“I’m 100% for this fueling station,” Lawson said. “We’ve been working on it for the last 10 years.”
Lawson reminded Beyer that the contract is already signed and the contractor has already ordered the tanks and awning. Holding the project up will cost more because prices for those materials will change, and ending the contract would result in a penalty, he added.
Attorney Bob Clutter represents commissioners and did not immediately know how much it would cost the county to end the contract but said it would be “substantial.” Clutter intended to call the builder after the meeting to learn just how much it would cost to end the contract.
Pell said several voters told him they oppose the fueling station. He said the Co-Alliance Coop had provided reliable fuel to the county for years and he didn’t know why the county wants to go into the business of providing fuel.
He said the county may be taking a $1.9 million gamble and could “lose huge,” to “save marginally.”
Pell then huddled a moment with Clutter and asked to table a decision, which they did.
Commissioners next meet at 9 a.m. Monday, Jan. 20, in the Connie Lamar Meeting Room of the Boone County Annex building, 116 W. Washington St., Lebanon.
Commissioners also tabled until Monday a decision on renewing its annual contract agreement with the Boone County Economic Development Corporation, pending Pell’s having time to study information provided by the EDC.