Douglas County staff members want to know whether they should continue trying to hedge their bets on the county’s fuel bill.

During their Wednesday meeting, commissioners will consider whether to continue a practice started last year that allowed the county to purchase half of its diesel and unleaded fuel at a fixed price.

“If we did have some spikes like we did the previous year, there could be significant cost savings for us,” said Jackie Waggoner, the county’s purchasing director.

To guard against possible fuel price increases, the previous commission agreed last year to participate in the fixed-price practice with its fuel contractor, Capital City Oil. None of the current commissioners — Nancy Thellman, Jim Flory and Mike Gaughan — were in office at that time.

Because of a dip in energy prices that started in 2008, the county’s results for the first year were mixed.

Because diesel fuel prices were lower than expected, the county spent an average of 49 cents per gallon more than it would have on the 38,600 gallons of diesel fuel it purchased at a fixed price. That’s an extra $18,914.

However, unleaded fuel was an average of 17 cents per gallon more expensive than the county’s locked-in rate, saving the county $8,380 on the 48,720 gallons it purchased.

The meeting begins at 4 p.m. at the Douglas County Courthouse, 1100 Mass.

Commissioners will also consider a preliminary plat of about 59 acres northeast of the intersection of North 1800 and East 700 roads — about 1.5 miles west of the junction of the Kansas Turnpike and Kansas Highway 10. Rockwall Farms LC wants to build a corporate retreat, The Woods, on the property.