City spending less on salt this year
What adds flavor to pork and is also used to clear road of slush and other winter detritus?
Salt, and it appears the city is spending a lot less on it this year compared to last.
Public Works Superintendent Eugene Hayes will provide the City Council with an update tonight on the city's salt usage this winter.
Here is a comparison of what the city is facing to date this winter compared to last season:
| 2008-09 | 2009-10 | |
|---|---|---|
| Inches of snow | 165 | 67 |
| Cost of salt per ton | $129.68 | $59.49 |
| Cost of purchased salt | $271,269 | $115,072 |
| Cost to haul snow | $40,820 | $7,600 |
While a memo from Mr. Hayes to the City Council, included in tonight's work session agenda, doesn't specifically address the amount of salt the city has used to clear roads this winter, it does state: “To answer the questions of why we have used as much salt as we have, it is because of the number and frequency of minor/nuisance events (less than 2 inches) experienced…It requires the same amount of de-icers to address a one or two-inch snowfall as it does a 10-inch snowfall.”
When signing a contract with a salt provider, the city must also agree to purchase a minimum amount of material. In the past few years, that has equated to about 2,000 pounds of salt.
Look in the Times this week for an in-depth look at the weather and how it is affecting Public Work departments.
