Youngstown, Mahoning County, Boardman teaming up to purchase salt

By David Skolnick | June 10, 2015 at 12:07a.m.

YOUNGSTOWN

Youngstown is teaming up with Mahoning County and Boardman for the first time to purchase road salt at an expected savings because of the group’s buying power.

The city has purchased road salt on its own for several years, which turned out last winter to be a good deal as the price of the material used to melt ice and snow skyrocketed.

The city’s cost per ton of salt went from $37.89 for the 2013-14 winter to $76.31 this past winter.

In comparison, the cost of the state purchasing price went from $27.50 to $146.18 during the same time period, and then later fell to $105.25 a ton when the state went with an Indiana company.

The county bought 3,500 tons this past winter through the state price, and had 2,000 tons left over from the previous winter.

Boardman purchased 4,500 tons in summer 2014 at a price of $44 a ton and didn’t buy any road salt this past winter.

All three government entities mixed the road salt with slag at a higher rate than usual to save money.

“It’s a good idea to collaborate on the road-salt bid to lower the cost,” said Mark D’Apolito, Youngstown assistant law director and the law department’s monitor coordinator. “This should help drive down the price. By buying in larger quantities, it will hopefully reduce the costs. We’ll be able to make one collaborative effort and show the salt companies that we want to buy salt at a reasonable price.”

In the proposal, Youngs-town is committing to buy at least 5,000 tons, the county would purchase at least 3,000 tons, and for Boardman, it’s a 2,500-ton minimum.

The city is overseeing the bidding process with proposals being opened Aug. 20. The contract needs to be approved by the city’s board of control with the one-year deal starting mid- to late September assuming the city approves a proposal.

“After last year’s major increase, we wanted to look elsewhere, and we talked to Youngstown,” said county Engineer Patrick Ginnetti. “Hopefully by the county and Boardman piggybacking on the city, we’ll all get a better price. Because this is the first time we’ve done this, we decided to start with the three largest [government entities]. If it proves to be a good method, we’ll expand it next year.”

Larry Wilson, Boardman road superintendent, said, “We’re hoping to get a better price than the state [contract]. We hope this holds the price down.”