Moving ahead with plans for bulk fuel buys

UNDATED - A 14-member alliance of north Georgia governments and schools - including some in the Gainesville area - is expected to solicit bids this month for a bulk purchase of up to 24 million gallons of fuel, which could provide total savings of almost $1 million.

Gwinnett County administrator Jock Connell says Gwinnett alone expects to save $100,000.

The county's purchasing director, Scott Callan, says the initiative led by Gwinnett follows months of intergovernmental contacts between purchasing and fleet management teams.

Bidding details will be released April 16.

Other coalition members include: Gwinnett schools, Fulton County, Cobb County and Cobb schools, DeKalb County and DeKalb schools, Forsyth County, Jackson County, and the cities of Atlanta, Covington, Gainesville (which announced plans to join the co-op last month), Marietta and Smyrna.