Public Works budget increase for de-icing products approved

During the Dawson County Board of Commissioners work session, the director of the Public Works Department, Denise Farr, requested to increase the salt budget.

Following the movement of the request to the voting session, the Board voted unanimously to approve the additional funds.

The 2022 budget allocates $3,500 for salt product costs. The department staff sought to increase the budget to $20,530.

JPCS, LLC currently holds the county’s contract for salt/de-icing product purchases. The contract did not specify the salt’s density.

The county received a low density product, which proved unsuitable for its use.

Current product’s performance in recent storm

During January’s storm event, crews used the most recently delivered product for de-icing the roads.

Crews distributed 175 tons of salt. Pre-treatment of the area included eight concrete deck bridges and four highly traveled county roads.

Following pre-treatment, the de-icing process implemented three spreader trucks and 14 crew members.

Over the course of 14 hours, they salted 113.35 miles of county roads, which covered 51 roads.

While working, crews noticed large amounts of salt blew off the roads. The product remaining on the roads quickly melted.

Upon noticing the effects of the lower density brown salt, crew members combined it with the existing supply of higher density white and blue salts.

Crews used approximately 125 tons of brown salt and 50 tons of mixed salts. 20 tons of mixed salts remain at Public Works.

In past storm events, the de-icing treatment with white and blue salts completed road coverage using 75 tons of product.

According to the current contract, the low density salt product costs $148.98 per ton. For a storm event lasting two days, the estimated quantity would be 250 tons, which equates to $35,745.

For the high density salt product, the department estimates a cost of $267 per ton. To respond to a two-day storm event, the estimated quantity needed would be 75 tons, equaling $20,025.

With the approved budget increase, the department will restock the salt supply with higher performing salt product.

Along with the complete agenda, readers can view Farr’s presentation at https://mccmeetings.blob.core.usgovcloudapi.net/daga-pubu/MEET-Packet-d8e634ff71b64c099e2fee96955a4fbe.pdf.