Winter wearing through salt supply, towns' overtime budgets

When the season began, public works directors in Lake County hoped fighting snow this winter wouldn't be as difficult as last year.

So far, it has been worse. Overtime for crews is mounting and road salt supplies are dwindling.

But with a barge of salt said to be arriving in Lemont next week, many communities are opting to shore up supplies with emergency acquisitions.

"With the way the winter is going, we decided to accelerate our (salt) purchase," said Round Lake Beach Village Administrator David Kilbane. "It's our insurance policy to get us through this winter."

The village board on Monday authorized the purchase of up to 2,000 more tons of salt in an amount not to exceed $300,000.

Because of last year's unusually snowy winter, supplies became short for this season and the price more than tripled. With price and supply issues a main concern, many entities have been salting less to conserve what they were able to order.

Local supplies are holding up but have been going fast with no way to know what the rest of the winter will bring.

"We're just getting a little more salt before we can't get it," said Vernon Hills Public Works Director Ed Laudenslager.

Unofficially, Vernon Hills has seen about 41 inches of snow, compared with about 30 inches a year ago.

"Our staff has been judicious," with salt use, Laudenslager said. "But we still have a lot of winter left."

Last winter was the second snowiest on record in many Lake County locations, but public works crews this year have been even busier.

Lake County Division of Transportation crews, for example, have responded to 44 snow events compared to 25 at this time last year.

The county board's public works and transportation committee today will consider appropriating $650,000 for another 4,600 tons of salt. This year, the county has used 11,500 tons of the 19,000 tons that were ordered.

About 43 inches of snow has fallen in Mundelein compared with about 30 inches a year ago, according to Public Works Director Ken Miller.

Despite having been out 21 times this year compared with 12 last year, Mundelein, through aggressive conservation measures, has used just more than half as much salt as last year, and is in good stead.

Miller, who leads a consortium of communities in Lake and McHenry counties dealing with salt issues, said members are being told to order now because the availability of salt may be limited.

"If inventory does come free, it's not going to sit there long," he said.