Hopefully, this salt's for next year
by JOHN LASKO
News-Times reporter
By a 7-0 vote Monday council members passed legislation on emergency allowing mayor David Taylor to purchase 4,000 tons of rock salt from the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) for next winter.
Taylor said it was imperative for council to pass this piece of legislation because the signed agreement must be mailed to Columbus by Friday, March 26, to receive the state purchase price.
"It's actually a money saver for the residents," Amherst street superintendent Jeff Barnes said. "State purchase is where a bunch of municipalities come together and they commit to a certain amount of salt. Without committing to that salt and getting the state purchase, it would cost the citizens of Amherst more money. You can pay the state price or you can pay the big money."
This year, the city paid $45.50 a ton for road salt, up $4.71 from $41.33 last year. The cost per ton of salt went up nearly $8 in 2008.
"Without council OKing it last night, I mean they could be paying over a $100 a ton," Barnes said.
From Monday, Dec. 21 until the last snow flake last week, Barnes used 3,200 tons of rock salt this winter on the city's roadways. The city's salt barn is capable of storing about 1,200 tons of the stuff.
"We order it on an as needed basis," Barnes said. "In other words, as we use 200 or 300 tons, I'll call Cargill salt and then they'll ship it out usually within five days. So, as we dwindle it down, we restock it."
He and his team, was well as those who work in the water, sewer, and arborist departments, have 17 pieces of equipment to keep the streets and sidewalks throughout the city snow and ice free.
This includes seven two-and-a-half ton, as well as four one-and-a-half ton dump trucks, and three pick-up trucks with salt spreaders on the backs and plows attached to the front. They also utilize a front-end loader, a backhoe with a plow attached to it, and a small tractor with a snow blower and salt spreader attached used to clear city sidewalks.
When the city experiences two inches or less of snow, Barnes and his seven-member crew will salt the main streets, including hills and curves, and intersections on the side streets.
When the snow starts piling up, Barnes instructs his crew to salt all the main and side streets, including hills and curves again, and the city's parking lots and sidewalks.
If the city is hit with freezing rain, Barnes and his crew members will salt all the main streets, hills and curves and lightly salt all side streets.
"With the equipment and the guys we've got, we are able to get out there and get the job done," Barnes said.
Barnes told the News-Times it is also gratifying to hear positive comments from residents and members of city council.
"It is nice to be recognized on the hard work that the guys put in to it," he said.
This is Barnes's 29th year battling snows in Amherst.
While the month of January was not as snowy as Barnes expected, Barnes said February made up for the dry spell.
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