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Cost of Road Salt up 29%
Published 12:00 p.m., September 28, 2009
Otter Tail County’s cost for buying salt this winter is expected to increase by 29 percent, shocking Highway Engineer Rick West and leaving commissioners wondering if there were alternatives.
How much the Highway Department spends on salt will affect how much road construction is completed the following summer. If the department goes over what is budgeted, that amount is taken out of the budget for road construction, West explained.
The cost is expected to increase from $67.08 per ton to $86.27 per ton.
From the amount of salt the county purchases, a portion of it is then purchased by townships located in Otter Tail County, West said.
There aren’t any alternatives to salt that are as cheap as salt, West said. In the past he has tried other items, including a byproduct of sugarbeets, West said, adding that he’ll never forget the phone calls he got after that because people couldn’t get it off their vehicles.
West said he suspects the increase in cost was caused by a consolidation in vendors.
How much salt the county will use is determined by the winter weather. If it’s a cold winter with dry snow, the Highway Department doesn’t need a lot of salt, West said.
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The Daily Journal is happy to host community conversations about news and life in Fergus Falls and the surrounding area. As hosts, we expect guests will show respect for each other. That means we don't threaten or defame each other, and we keep conversations free of personal attacks. Those who persist with racist, defamatory or abusive postings risk losing the privilege to post. To post a comment you will need to register. Or, if you're already registered but have not included your true, verifiable identity with your registration, you will need to update your account to include your identity. Effective Dec. 1, 2009, all posts appear with the commenter's true identity, which must be verified by site staff. Those who registered prior to Dec. 1, 2009, should be aware that once you update your information with your true identity, all prior posts under your user name will also indicate your true identity. If you do not wish to link yourself to prior comments, you should register again with a different user name.Posted by cascade (anonymous) on September 30, 2009 at 7:33 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Time to start using more liquid anti-icers... under certain conditions they are the most cost effective solution.
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