BELLE — Maries County officials are weighing whether to purchase replacement propane tanks for the courthouse after learning the county’s three existing 1,000-gallon tanks cannot be filled because required specification tags are missing.

Presiding Commissioner Vic Stratman told fellow commissioners Aug. 31 that a recent inspection also found two regulators that need to be replaced because they have exceeded their expected 20-year lifespan, but he said the larger concern involved the tanks themselves.

“But the big issue is the tanks,” Stratman said. “Those tanks are illegal to fill.”

Stratman said the tanks do not have specification tags identifying information about the equipment.

“The spec tag is not on it,” Stratman said. “The spec tag shows the capacity, probably working pressure, manufactured date and the thickness.”

All three of the county’s existing tanks are 1,000-gallon units and all three are missing the tags, the group was told. Stratman said it appeared the tags had been removed sometime in the past. Commissioners questioned how the tanks had continued to be filled previously if the identifying information was missing.

“It probably didn’t just now happen because you can see where the tank had been welded on there and it was cut off,” Stratman said.

Stratman said that the propane company that recently inspected the tanks was handling the situation appropriately.

“Of course, they’re doing it right,” Stratman said. “They’re following the law.”

The county may not need to replace all three tanks. Stratman said the propane representative believed two 1,000-gallon tanks would provide sufficient capacity for the courthouse.

One option presented to the county was to rent two tanks. Stratman initially estimated the rental could cost approximately $100 per year for both, although commissioners were waiting for an official proposal. The company would also remove and dispose of the old tanks and perform plumbing and regulator work associated with installing replacements.

The relatively low rental cost raised another issue, however. If the county rents tanks from a propane supplier, commissioners said the county would then have to purchase its propane from that company rather than continuing to seek competitive fuel bids.

“And then, we have to get propane from them from now on,” Eastern District Commissioner Patrick Kleffner said.

“That’s the catch,” Western District Commissioner Rodney Southard said.

Commissioners began comparing the potential long-term cost of renting against purchasing tanks outright.

Southard said the difference between the county’s lowest propane bid and the next closest bid was approximately 13 cents per gallon. Based on an estimated 8,000 gallons, he calculated that difference at approximately $1,040 in a single year.

“It bothers me that you’re locked in,” Southard said. “Because they can charge you anything they want.”

Kleffner said he had previously rented propane tanks personally and watched the fuel price increase over time.

“I did that with a company one time for renting the tanks, and like every year they got a little higher and a little higher and a little higher,” Kleffner said. “I could have bought one initially, and it’d been saving a lot of money.”

Southard said that if the difference in propane prices remained around $1,000 annually, the purchase price of a tank could potentially be recovered within several years.

“So in two or three years, you pay for a tank,” Southard said. “Probably need to do some homework on that.”

Stratman said the propane representative had indicated a new 500-gallon tank could cost approximately $2,000, but commissioners did not have a confirmed purchase price for a 1,000-gallon unit during the discussion.

Southard agreed to research prices for two 1,000-gallon tanks, including possible shipping, installation and setup costs. Commissioners also discussed contacting additional propane suppliers to determine whether tanks could be purchased directly rather than rented.

“I hate to rent,” Southard said.

Kleffner agreed, noting that rental arrangements could become more expensive over time.

“They can start going up or higher, and you know tanks get higher as years go on,” Kleffner said.

Southard again pointed to the approximately $1,000 annual difference represented by the current fuel bids.

“I mean, 13 cents makes $1,000 a $ 1,000-a-year difference, and they last,” Southard said.

No final decision on renting or purchasing replacement tanks was made during the meeting. Commissioners instead agreed to gather additional pricing before determining which option would be more economical for the county.