B737-700 CREW DID NOT INSURE AN MEL ITEM CARRIED ON THE DISPATCH RELEASE WAS REMOVED WHEN THE ITEM WAS CLRED.

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WHILE AT THE GATE AT MDW; THE #2 FUEL VALVE LIGHT INDICATED IT WAS IN TRANSIT; BRIGHT BLUE. MAINT WAS NOTIFIED TO INVESTIGATE. THIS WAS NOTICED JUST A FEW MINS BEFORE SCHEDULED DEP; AND WE WERE RUNNING A FEW MINS BEHIND. I HAD MY PREFLT DUTIES COMPLETED; SO I VACATED THE COCKPIT SO THAT THE CAPT AND THE MECH COULD EXPEDITE WHATEVER ACTION WAS REQUIRED. AFTER SEVERAL MINS; I LEARNED FROM THE CAPT THAT THE MECH WAS GOING TO PERFORM THE MEL PROC FOR THIS PARTICULAR PROB; AND THE CAPT NOTIFIED DISPATCH VIA THE JETWAY PHONE. AS REQUIRED; THE MECH STARTED THE ENG; BUT FOUND THE VALVE LIGHT EXTINGUISHED (OPS CHKED NORMAL) AS SOON AS HE ENGAGED THE STARTER. ACCORDING TO THE MECH; THAT NEGATED THE NEED FOR AN MEL OR LOGBOOK ENTRY SINCE THE ACFT WASN'T BROKEN; AND THAT A SLIGHT PRESSURE FROM THE STARTER WAS ENOUGH TO CORRECT THE IN TRANSIT INDICATION. THE VALVE LIGHT FUNCTIONED NORMALLY AFTER SEVERAL MORE CHKS. THE MECH COMPLETED THE ENTIRE MEL PROC ANYHOW; THOUGH NOT REQUIRED; HE SAID; SINCE IT WAS WORKING PROPERLY AT THAT POINT. DISCUSSION BTWN THE CAPT AND THE MECH ABOUT THE PROPER METHOD FOR SATISFYING ALL APPLICABLE REQUIREMENTS FOR THIS SIT TOOK PLACE WHILE I RESUMED MY DUTIES. THE CAPT INFORMED ME THAT THE MECH WAS GOING TO CALL DISPATCH AND ADVISE THEM THAT THERE WAS; IN FACT; NO NEED FOR AN MEL; AND THAT THE REQUEST FOR ONE WAS PREMATURE. I UNDERSTOOD THAT THE MECH WAS OFFERING HIS HELP TO THE CAPT BY MAKING THIS PHONE CALL; SO THAT WE COULD DEPART; AS WE WERE NOW BEHIND SCHEDULE. A NORMAL START AND UNEVENTFUL FLT TO HOUSTON WAS MADE. UPON RECEIPT OF THE DISPATCH RELEASE IN HOUSTON FOR OUR NEXT LEG; THERE WAS AN MEL ON IT FOR THE FUEL VALVE. IT APPEARED THAT THE MECH HAD NOT MADE THE PHONE CALL; OR THAT DISPATCH HAD NOT REMOVED THE MEL; IF HE HAD. THEREFORE; AN MEL EXISTED FOR AN ACFT THAT WASN'T BROKEN. CLRLY; A COM PROB; EXACERBATED BY TIME PRESSURES; CREATED THIS SIT. AT NO TIME WAS THERE ANY THOUGHT THAT ANYTHING BUT PROPER PROC WAS BEING FOLLOWED. IN HINDSIGHT; VERIFICATION WITH DISPATCH VIA TELEPHONE OR RADIO SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE.