The Lake County Commissioners approved Wednesday the replacement of two gas pumps requested by the sheriff’s department, one year after the computer system governing the pumps had to be replaced.
The sheriff’s department sought bids to replace two pumps and the concrete island that holds the pumps. Three bids came in, and Northern Indiana Mechanical came in as the lowest bid at $24,056, according to county records. The commissioners approved the bid with a 3-0 vote.
Lake County Sheriff Oscar Martinez said in a statement that he was pleased that the commissioners approved the request to replace the pumps. The pumps and the concrete island that holds them “are dated, unstable and in a state of disrepair,” Martinez said, adding that the pumps were installed about 50 years ago.
“This approval helps to ensure the continued safety and efficiency of operations not only for the Lake County Sheriff’s Department, but also for every county department which uses the pumps as their primary fuel source,” Martinez said.
The original fuel pumps, which have been in place since 1975, are used by almost every county department. With the commissioners’ approval, the next steps are to schedule the construction work, which will hopefully be completed before the winter, Martinez said.
Commissioner Michael Reapy, D-3, said he was “nervous” about putting in two new pumps on the existing fuel tank because county officials are aware that the tank will need to be replaced soon. The commissioners don’t yet have a plan to replace the tank, but it is on the board’s radar, he said.
Lake County Sheriff Chief of Police Vince Balbo said at the meeting that the companies that submitted bids said, “One has nothing to do with the other.”
“All three of the estimators that came out looked at that. At that point in time, the tanks were all stable. No problems with the tanks at this point,” Balbo said.
In an interview, Repay said the gas is stored underground in tanks that are getting older and will need to be replaced soon. Given that, Repay said he was concerned about putting new pumps on an older tank.
“We have an ongoing concern with the storage of the fuel,” Repay said. “As long as in the meantime we can use the pumps on the new tank then we’ll be OK.”
Commissioner’s attorney Matt Fech said the board is committed to the upkeep of buildings and county property.
Given the age of the whole fuel system, Repay said the commissioners will review the next steps for the countywide fuel system.
“There’s a possibility that we construct a countywide fuel dispensary system there or in another area of the county,” Repay said.
Last year, the commissioners approved a payment of $16,314 for fuel pump repair after the computer system governing the pumps was on the verge of shutting down. The commissioners approved the purchase after the fact because the sheriff’s department completed the repairs as an emergency without the proper procedure for making an emergency purchase.
Martinez said at the time that problems with the fuel pumps were known for several months before the repair was done. Department officials sent multiple emails to the commissioners advising them and updating them on the situation.
“We have followed procedure during each step of this process. This is one more example of how commissioners’ continuing delay tactics jeopardize the ability of county government to serve the people who live and work in Lake County. It’s a deliberate attempt to sabotage our operations,” Martinez said.
akukulka@post-trib.com
