The City of Gulf Breeze, Fla., council has vetoed a recommendation by staff to build a new compressed natural gas (CNG) fast-fill station. The station was projected to cost $120,000 and would have served the city’s fleet of 20 vehicles as well as private fleet customers, the Gulf Breeze News reported. The return on investment would have taken five to six years.

The city currently has two time-fill CNG stations that aren’t sufficient to fill its 20 CNG vehicles. In 2013, the city purchased CNG quick-fill equipment using FEMA funds, and staff hopes to use this equipment to build the fast-fill station, according to city council documents.

After the city council vetoed the CNG station build, it asked city employees to investigate the cost and return on investment of upgrading its two existing slow-fill stations with equipment already purchased using FEMA funds. Staff found this would cost $100,000, with a return on investment in 3.1 years. City council voted to allow staff to advertise for the design and build of the upgrades. 

The city’s CNG vehicles include sedans, vans, service body trucks, light-duty trucks, and heavy-duty trucks, some of which were purchased or converted using rebates. The CNG program began in 2011, helping to reduce fuel costs. The city pays on average $1.50 per gasoline gallon equivalent (GGE) for CNG and $2.79 per gallon for gasoline.

*This article was updated 5/30/18.

Related: What’s the Future for CNG?