CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM
ACTION REQUESTED:
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Approve the award of Cooperative Procurement 25-304, Roadway Salt, to Morton Salt and Compass Minerals America, Inc. for an amount not to exceed $496,800
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DEPARTMENT: Department of Public Works
SUBMITTED BY: John Rutkowski, Interim Director of Public Works
BOARD/COMMISSION REVIEW:
N/A
BACKGROUND:
The Department of Public Works (DPW) requires roadway salt for winter operations.
Over the years, DPW staff have taken measures to limit the use of salt due to its high cost and environmental impacts. Specifically, DPW has modified procedures for salting cul-de-sacs, reduced application rates when conditions warrant, and postponed the application of salt on residential streets, including cul-de-sacs, until after plowing is complete in certain circumstances.
Also, in 2019, DPW retrofitted the salt spreader control systems on all plow trucks. This new system enables supervisors to remotely control salt spread, ensuring operational consistency and adherence to best practices for environmentally sound snow and ice removal. These operational changes have resulted in an average salt reduction of more than 7,000 tons per year as compared to 10 years ago. Over the past 10 years, the City has used an average of 11,400 tons of salt per year. During the mild 2024/25 winter season, the City used approximately 5,850 tons of salt.
The City has two salt dome locations, one at the Public Works Service Center and one near Plainfield/Naperville Road. It has been the City’s policy to have both salt domes substantially full at the beginning of the winter season so that, at a minimum, it is prepared for an average-to-moderately heavy winter season. This initial salt supply not only provides the City with enough salt for application during a typical winter season (based on a five-year average) but also eliminates the need to rely on delivery during the winter, which can often be delayed and more expensive.
The capacity of the City’s salt domes is 18,000 tons, and there is approximately 18,000 tons of salt currently available in the domes for the 2025/26 winter season.
DISCUSSION:
The City has several options for procuring salt. In the past, it has conducted a bid for summer delivery of salt and participated in joint purchasing programs from the State of Illinois and DuPage County. For the 2025/26 season, the City participated in the State of Illinois program, as the pricing has historically been better. The State program requires that the City request how much salt is needed for the upcoming winter season by April and purchase a minimum of 80% of the amount requested. The selected vendor is required to furnish up to 120% of the amount upon request.
The State bid requires the City to submit separate requests for each salt dome location. Vendors submit bids for each location, and the low bidder is determined for each location since trucking costs vary depending on the distance traveled to deliver the salt. In April, the City requested 6,000 tons of salt for the 2025/26 season. Based on this request, the City must purchase a minimum of 4,800 tons and can order as much as 7,200 tons depending on need.
The City will enter into State cooperative contracts for each salt dome based upon the low bidder for each location.
• Public Work Service Center: Cooperative Contract 25-416CMS-BOSS4-P-85806 through vendor Compass Minerals America, Inc. at a price of $69 per ton
• Plainfield/Naperville Road Cooperative Contract 25-416CMS-BOSS4-P-85804 through vendor Morton Salt Inc. at a price of $68.73 per ton
It is anticipated that 4,500 tons will be needed at the Public Works Service Center and 1,500 tons will be needed at Plainfield/Naperville Road.
The term of this contract is from the date of award to September 30, 2026.
FISCAL IMPACT:
CIP #: N/A
Roadway salt is expensed to the Salt and Chemicals accounts listed below. A total of $574,000 has been included in the 2026 proposed budget for roadway salt. Staff forecasted a 2025/26 cost of $70 per ton, so the award is in line with the amount budgeted.
|
Account Number |
Fund Description |
Proposed Budget Amount |
|
31251100-541409 |
General Fund |
$592,750 |
|
31251200-541409 |
Commuter Parking Fund |
$70,000 |