More salt, please

The big snow was the one to remember, but it has been a winter of continuing squalls for public works crews that has led to the need for more salt in Libertyville.

With two months left in the season, village crews have been dispatched to plow and salt 19 times so far this winter. The average is about 25 times for a season, but the village already has used a “good portion” of its salt supply, Public Works Director John Heinz reported to the village board.

The board authorized Tuesday the money to buy more salt if needed. The initial request for the winter season was 1,800 tons, and Heinz asked for authority to get up to another 900 tons if needed.

“We’ve been using more than we normally would,” Heinz said.

“We had this request in before the storm hit. We want to be able to get it if we need it.”

The request approved by the board authorized $49,374 in motor fuel tax funds to purchase the salt at about $55 a ton. Heinz said the village will order only the amount of salt needed to get through winter.

Meanwhile, MainStreet Libertyville, a downtown revitalization group, applauded the village’s effort to clear snow from the main shopping area.

“I heard nothing but praise from the business owners downtown,” said Pam Hume, executive director of the not-for-profit group. “They got the downtown up and moving very quickly.”

Hume said crews worked continuously and by Thursday, the day after the blizzard ended, the downtown was in good shape. By Saturday, all the snow had been cleared and taken away, she said.

Village Manager Kevin Bowens reported that village departments piled up $125,294 in costs associated with the storm. That included about $4,000 for the fire department, $2,300 for police and nearly $119,000 for public works.

The costs have been submitted to the Lake County Emergency Management Agency, which will prepare an application for federal reimbursement should Lake County, Chicago or Illinois be declared a federal disaster area.

In Vernon Hills, Public Works Director David Brown said the village started the winter with three salt bins filed to capacity and another 343 tons stored off-site.

Brown said there was a substantial amount left in two of the bins but the village was scheduled to take delivery Wednesday of another 500 tons.

To date the village had ordered about 932 tons of salt. As of late January, about 1,058 tons of salt had been used, Brown added, but the blizzard did not spark a need to order more.

The village has plenty of salt in stock but ordered more to stay ahead and keep the bins full, Brown said.