Town officials seek cheaper fuel in deal with local company
By Karen Mann

With the rising prices of fuel a concern among everyone lately, town officials may have found a way to combat this issue.

T o w n Administrator Kevin Paicos and Fire Chief Paul Zbikowski are in the process of negotiating a deal with Roy Brothers to have private gas pumps installed for official town use.

"Right now, the town is paying retail prices for gas," Paicos said.

Town vehicles, such as fire engines, get their gas at Mr. Mikes - the only gas station in town - like regular consumers.

If the town had its own pumps, it would pay the bulk price for gasoline and diesel fuel, which according to Zbikowski would save the town a s i g n i f i c a n t amount of money. Paicos was not sure what the exact savings would be but said it would probably be in the thousands.

He said the town currently spends about $30,000 a year on gasoline and diesel.

Zbikowski said he looked into having the town put in its own pumps but determined it was too costly. Instead, he started talking with Roy Brothers - an Ashburnham based company - about installing pumps on their site. The company already has some of the necessary equipment so it would cost them around $50,000 for the project, according to Zbikowski.

Roy Brothers would cover all the costs associated with the installation in the present deal.

"The town is not putting out a dime for this," Paicos said. "In exchange Roy Brothers will have a guaranteed customer for thousands of years."

They would also get to purchase their gasoline and diesel at a bulk rate.

Besides the monetary savings, Zbikowski said it would be a huge benefit to his department because they would have around the clock access to gasoline, something they don't have now.

"If there is a fire in the middle of the night when the gas station isn't open, we can't get gas," Zbikowski said.

He said the pump would not be open to the public because that would require an attendant being there at all-times. A key-card access system will be used by town employees, a process that would also let the town track usage.

Paicos said he is in the process of finding out what the next step is. He is not sure whether the town has to put out a request for bids, or if this is considered a sole-source procurement under state bid laws. He has contacted the Attorney General's Office and is waiting to hear back.

Paicos said he would like to have the pumps in by either fall or spring and hopes they will be ready "to start taking gas soon there after."