Thursday, May 3, 2007

Oil brands are topic at county commission meeting

by Kenneth Lassiter

County officials have an experiment in mind as commissioners Monday discussed the potential savings from a switch in the motor oil used by county departments.

Commissioners have been looking into other oil vendors as they have pinpointed that area as a way the county could potentially save up to $10,000 annually. The county currently buys Schaeffer-brand oil, which commissioners have gotten bids for Universal and Allied-brand oils.

George Pogge, road and bridge superintendent, and Gary Thoma of the department met with commissioners Monday to discuss the issue. Pogge detailed that the department, in cooperation with the auxiliary services department, which services county vehicles, uses manufacturer-required or supplied products for equipment or vehicles still under warranty; uses a manufacturer brand or specified product for “specialty items” such as chainsaws, motor graders or a Bobcat; and uses a consistent product for all other equipment that doesn’t fall under those first two categories.

Oil samples are done on all forms of the equipment and complete analysis of how the oil is working is an ongoing project for Pogge and Mark Richards, auxiliary services director. Pogge said Schaeffer’s oil has provided “excellent” long-term service for the county and has stood up well under analysis, which has led the county to stick with it. In cost-per-1,000 mile figures provided by Pogge, Schaeffer was cheaper than Universal oil but more expensive than Allied, but Pogge pointed out the Universal and Allied figures were calculated for an oil change every 2,000 miles. He said analysis has led the county to change the vehicles and equipment with Schaeffer oil every 5,000 miles.

Commissioners Don Edmonds and David Christy said they weren’t convinced the advantages of Schaeffer oil were worth an extra $10,000 from county coffers. Christy said any oil with the same mill specification as Schaeffer’s oil should be just as good. Edmonds said Pogge was saying Schaeffer oil was better than the others without any proof of that. Pogge said the county’s history with the oil and its performance under analysis are the two factors upon which he is basing his evaluation. Edmonds replied the county hadn’t tried the Universal or Allied products, so no county official would know if those products were just as good.

“If you can prove to me that no other product is superior to Schaeffer, I have no problem with it,” Edmonds said. “We’ve got no proof of that, though.”

Both commissioners asked that the comparisons between the oils be made on equal footing, as Christy called Pogge’s method of comparison that of “apples to oranges.” Pogge said the road and bridge and auxiliary services departments are “constantly” looking at different products to make sure money is being spent in the wisest way. Edmonds asked Pogge what oil he uses in his own vehicles and Pogge replied he uses Mobil One with the intent of switching to Schaeffer soon based on the oil’s performance. Christy said he wanted more information on the other oils and a more even cost comparison.

“I think we’re throwing $10,000 away,” Christy said. “I’d like to compare the oils at the same mileage so we can compare apples to apples. If that oil meets the same mill specs, it should do the same thing (as Schaeffer’s).” Richards spoke up to say he agreed that the mill specs are the same but the performance of Schaeffer oil has set it apart.

“The reason we started trying the Schaeffer products is that we were having engine issues with equipment,” Richards said. “I was skeptical about the product myself because of the price until I saw that we had no failures with it.”

Pogge argued that a change in oil brands would require a new set of oil analysis data on the project that could take one to two years of study to see if the new oil stands up to Schaeffer’s. Pogge also pointed out there would be more used oil as well as filter costs and labor involved with changing the oil in equipment and vehicles more often.

He said the county is looking into the possibility of saving money on oil by buying it via the state contract. Edmonds said while he agrees that the Schaeffer oil has performed well, the cost compared to the competition has created the issue.

“The way I look at it is that I don’t think I can afford this oil, and Dave can’t afford this oil, but I think the taxpayers can afford the oil and that’s where (Schaeffer) makes its money,” Edmonds said in reference to the brand’s attraction to governmental users and not individuals. “If I thought (other oil) was gonna blow our equipment up, I wouldn’t do it.”

Richards suggested the county test the performance of the oil by using two police cars and changing the oil in both – one with Schaeffer oil and the other with another oil of the commission’s choosing – and see how the oil holds up under analysis to compare the two. Commissioners seemed amenable to the idea and asked Pogge to return with the redone cost comparison. Pogge stated he didn’t think the cost savings would be $10,000 on a switch to another brand of oil but said the savings could be around $4,000.

Jerry White of the Lakeside Village board of directors also met with commissioners Monday to ask about law enforcement in the subdivision. White said he had recently been elected to the board of directors and had already been approached by several people with concerns about improving animal control and police protection in the subdivision.

He said he had talked with county attorney Mike Hayes and county counselor Jan Hayes by telephone as well as Edmonds in person. White said he had been told by Mike Hayes that the subdivision needs to work on resolutions regarding its laws as the state statutes treat Lakeside Village differently as an improvement district rather than as a city.

White had copies of Lakeside Village resolutions passed in the mid-1990s regarding laws and speed limits in the subdivisions. He said he would like to see more of a sheriff’s department presence in the subdivision mainly for enforcement of speed limits. Commissioners asked Undersheriff Jeff Herrig, who was present to hear White’s comments, if the county had any agreement with Lakeside Village for law enforcement. Herrig said there was none.

Christy pointed out a resolution White had that was passed in 1998 and gave the county authority to provide law enforcement within the subdivision. Both Mike and Jan Hayes were also present and Mike Hayes said he had told White that the sheriff’s department can only enforce the subdivision’s resolutions, which need to include a schedule of fines and penalties for speeding and other violations. He said Lakeside Village would need to provide its own ticket books for violations in the subdivision, as well as legal supplies and a prosecutor to follow up on violations much like a city has to.

The main difference would be that Lakeside Village would prosecute its violations in county district court rather than its own court as in a city. Hayes pointed out that the cities often hire off-duty sheriff’s deputies as police officers. White said he had no problem with Lakeside Village having ticket books printed but didn’t like the idea of the subdivision paying someone to patrol the streets when the citizens pay county taxes.

Hayes pointed out the sheriff does prosecute burglaries and other similar cases within the subdivision. Herrig said county officers had written speeding tickets in the subdivision in the past but the tickets were often dismissed by the judge. Hayes said it was likely because the subdivision resolutions didn’t include recommended fines and penalties for speeding.

Hayes suggested White and his fellow directors talk to the subdivision’s legal counsel about drafting the resolutions to the scope necessary for the subdivision. He said he would be willing to discuss the issue with the attorney. White said he wasn’t asking for any special treatment and didn’t want the situation in the subdivision to get worse. Jan Hayes also suggested White talk to the subdivision attorney as a first step toward making the subdivision’s resolutions more stringent.