Given
the continuing cost increase of road salt, Haliburton County
councillors wondered during a Feb. 27 meeting if there were any viable
alternatives. 

A
report from public works director Craig Douglas recommended a renewal
of a contract with K & S Windsor Salt Company for the provision of
untreated road salt, “the idea being to lock in prices for next winter,”
Douglas told councillors. 

As the report from Douglas indicated, in 2015 council approved the supply
and delivery of salt from the company through a multi-agency tender
request with the County of Peterborough and nine other agencies. The
tender was for a three-year term, with the option for two additional
years if service was satisfactory, making 2019/2020 the final year of
five. 

“Staff
have been very pleased with the product of untreated road salt for the
past four years and, along with the others in the multi-agency contract,
wish to extend the contract for a further and final year,” the report
read. 

The
2019 cost will be up 2.5 per cent from 2018, an increase from $78.09
per tonne to $80.04, meaning an overall increase of $16,000 the county
will pay for road salt. Road salt constitutes 85 per cent of the winter
maintenance material line in the budget. For 2019, there is $750,000
budgeted for materials and supplies for snowplowing and removal, meaning
approximately $630,000 is allotted specifically for the purchase of
salt. 

“What I would like to add, is there is uncertainty in terms of salt [supply],” Douglas told councillors. 

“On
that note, if it’s clear as we go forward that this [the price] may
escalate that if we could get on with the next contract, sooner than
later . . . it would be better to do that as soon as possible, if
there’s a fear of huge upswing in salt,” said Minden Hills Mayor Brent
Devolin. 

“There’s not a lot of salt suppliers out there, either,” Douglas said. 

Algonquin
Highlands Mayor Carol Moffatt wondered at what point, given price
escalation and the availability of salt, the county might start
considering alternatives. 

“For
sure, we’re caught between minimum maintenance standards and salt
prices,” Douglas said. “ . . . There are no current, economically viable
solutions in my mind.” 

Devolin
said he asks the Minden Hills roads superintendent every year about
alternatives to salt, says the answer is always discouraging and that
even through the Ontario Good Roads Association, there don’t seem to be
any viable alternatives on the horizon. 

The county will renew the contract for the upcoming year.