Saving on salt

Local government agencies saved thousands of dollars in salt use this year and were able to stockpile moderate reserves of materials due to the mild winter, officials said.

"This has been a great winter," St. Marys Superintendent of General Services Terry Hubbell said. "I think it's been a good winter for everybody."

Local weather forecaster Dennis Howick said total snow accumulation during the winter season was "way short" of normal. He estimates 20 inches of snow fell this season, compared with more than 40 inches last season. During a typical winter, the area gets 34-35 inches of snow.

The Mercer County Engineering Department, responsible for maintaining 384 miles of roads, spent an average of $383 per mile on snow and ice control during the 2015-2016 winter season, county Engineer Jim Wiechart said. That compares with about $950 a mile last season and $1,267 a mile during the 2013-2014 season.

The total cost of snow and ice removal for the winter season, including equipment, labor and materials, was $147,172.

The county, Wiechart said, purchased 1,286 tons of salt from Detroit Salt at a cost of $80,247 and $25,837 worth of grit, all paid through the engineer road and bridge motor vehicle fund. Of that total, the county, which completed 12 snowplow runs averaging 32 miles per route, used 612.5 tons of salt valued at $52,178 and 612.50 tons of grit valued at $5,053, together accounting for $57,232 worth of materials.

Wiechart reported 917 hours of labor and 227.5 hours of overtime were expended on snow and ice removal this season.

He projects the county has 700 tons of salt remaining, which, depending on Mother Nature, could be enough to get his department through as much as half of next year's winter season.

In Celina, officials purchased 300 tons of salt for the winter season at a cost of $85.19 a ton, public works superintendent Joe Wolfe told the newspaper. The city used about 250 tons while clearing the 90 miles of city streets six times during the winter season.

"Every time we salt the whole town it takes about 60 tons," Wolfe said.

The department this winter season spent $25,557 on salt. Last season, it purchased 726 tons of salt at $68.75 per ton, totaling $49,914. And in the 2013-2014 season, the city purchased 1,150 tons of salt at $67.96 a ton, totaling $78,276, he said.

Wolfe budgeted $20,000 for overtime pay this year to cover snow and ice removal. He said less than $2,000 of that was spent.

St. Marys, too, used significantly fewer resources this year to clear its thoroughfares, Hubbell said.

"We have saved unreal amounts of money this winter compared to last winter," he told the newspaper.

In St. Marys, officials spent almost $19,000 this year removing snow and ice from city streets - $11,300 on salt and $7,348 on labor, Hubbell told the newspaper. That compares with about $65,000 spent during the prior winter season, he said.

"It's saving the city lots of money," Hubbell said about the mild winter, noting it also freed up time for his employees to get a lot of other work done, such as street repairs and ball diamond work.

The city's bin holds about 250 tons of salt and grit. Right now, as much as 150 tons is in there, according to Hubbell.

"We're going to be looking at sitting pretty decent for the start (of next winter)," he said.

Fort Recovery Village Administrator Randy Diller said the village of Coldwater bids on salt for itself, Fort Recovery, St. Henry and Butler Township. The selected bidder was Cargill at $80 per ton.

Fort Recovery, Diller said, purchased 36.17 tons of salt at a total cost of $2,893.

"Comparing this to other winters, the past two years we have spent $6,100-$6,200 each year," Diller told the newspaper. "We had another low year back in 2012-13 where we only spent $2,509 and a really large year for us back in 2010-11 when we spent right at $9,400."

Diller said Fort Recovery officials budgeted the same amount as the previous season for salt and wages.

"Obviously both are down this year but even in bad winters that amount is not a huge number for Fort Recovery," he said. "As for overtime we have incurred little to no overtime this winter from plowing snow, but again, even in bad years that is not a huge amount of money, likely well less than $10,000 in a really nasty winter. Any savings will either be carried over or utilized to complete other street maintenance tasks/projects."

In Coldwater, village officials purchased and used 200 tons of salt this winter season, village official Ginny Borger reported to the newspaper. On average, the village purchases 600 tons of salt.

"Overtime savings for employees is around $10,000," she told the newspaper. "Salts savings (is) around $20,000, and this savings will be used for other maintenance items."

The village will begin next winter season with close to 100 tons of reserve salt, she said.

In Minster, the amount of salt applied to village streets was considerably less than in the previous winter, according to deputy clerk Kyle Gusching.

"We are way down on usage this year using 50 tons from November 2015 to present with total cost of $3,000 and 90 tons from November 2014 to January 2015 with total cost of $5,400," Gusching told the newspaper. "With not using as much salt this year, we will not need to purchase as much next year because our salt storage is full now."

The village, Gusching said, purchased 160 tons of salt for about $9,000 for the winter season through the Auglaize County Engineer's Office. Of that total, about 50 tons was applied, Gusching said.

"We saved approximately 8 percent for ice removal on wages from not needing to pay for overtime," Gusching said.

The village has about 100 tons of salt reserve on hand that, depending on the weather, should get the village through most of next winter, Gusching said.