On a hot, humid summer Monday, the Legislature's Public Services Committee spent 15 minutes talking about keeping the snow off of county roads.
It may be June, but now is the time to plan the purchase of salt -- or sodium chloride -- to spread on winter roads.
The committee approved the purchase of rock salt from American Rock Salt out of Hampton Corners for $40.16 a ton, up 40 cents from last year.
American Rock Salt beat out the only other bidder, North American Salt Company, which bid $70.48 per ton.
None of the other four companies that were invited to bid have done so.
County Supervisor Tim Hens said the lack of bids might be due to the fact that the other companies know it will be hard to beat American Rock Salt's bid because ARS is located so close to Genesee County. Or maybe they're anticipating a lot of sales to the northeast and Washington, D.C. after the snow-heavy winter those areas endured last winter.
"We're lucky to be located where we are in terms of salt mines," Hens said.
Because it was a mild winter in Western New York, Hens said the county currently has its salt barn about one-third full, which should cut down on the amount of salt the county must purchase this year.
The county budgeted $115,000 for rock salt this year.
