A nationwide salt shortage is causing local governments to get creative in finding ways to keep roadways safe and ice-free during harsh Midwest winters.

After abnormally heavy snowfall pummeled the Midwest last winter, many municipalities were forced to dip into budget reserves and emergency salt supplies.

This year’s price hike has been blamed on rising gas prices, increased demand and flooding in areas that typically provide salt. But that still doesn’t explain the drastic differences in pricing. The discrepancy led some municipalities earlier this month to ask Attorney General Lisa Madigan to investigate whether price-fixing is playing a role.

Riverside buys early
Because of last year’s intense winter, Riverside purchased early and is getting what some would consider a deal. Nathan Thiel, acting public works director for the village, said salt has become a hot commodity.

“All of a sudden it was like, whoa,” Thiel said. “Chicago bought out all the supply last year and that is what drove prices up.”

Riverside purchased 900 tons of salt this year at the price of $60.72 per ton, which is a $20 increase from last year. The Public Works Department should be receiving half its order by Dec. 15 and still has about 50 tons left over from last year, Thiel said.

Brookfield in negotiations
On the other hand, Brookfield is negotiating a salt purchase price and amount with the Illinois Department of Central Management Service. Village manager Rick Ginex said the village has not received any salt yet and won’t until a contract is signed, which is normally completed in August.

The village asked for 1,500 tons in April, Ginex said. The request still has not been approved. Last year, Brookfield went through 2,400 tons of salt.

“(It will cost) $145 to $160 a ton,” he said. “We were paying $37.80 a ton.”

Westchester eyes alternatives
Westchester Public Works director Russell Gross said the salt shortage means the village will pay more for its salt this year.

“We’re going to look into some other alternative solutions,” he said. “Hopefully that will help cut our usage.”

Those alternatives include everything form spraying streets with a salt brine before a storm hits to using a beet juice mixture to help clear ice.

The village typically budgets about $60,000 each year to buy 1,800 tons of salt. Last year, the village went through 2,400 tons of salt and spent an additional $60,000.

Gross said he already has ordered 1,800 tons for this winter, but the village will pay $54 per ton, compared to just $41 per ton last year. Although the price hike is steep, it’s relatively cheap compared to what many other municipalities are paying, according to Deputy Village Manager Jack Norton.

“We’re quite lucky,” Norton said.

Gross said the village’s rate was helped out, in part, because he put the order in early, while other communities are still waiting for their contract approval.

“A lot of villages are having to pay more,” Gross said. “We got a salt company to bid on our salt and the state accepted it. We got lucky.”

La Grange locks in price
La Grange assistant village manager Andrianna Peterson said the village purchased 2,385 tons last winter, which was a lot.

“Our average usage over the last 10 years was about 1,600 tons,” she said.

The cost was $40.67 per ton in 2007. This year, the village locked into a cost through a state purchaser at $58.78 per ton and is contracted to purchase 1,400 tons.

“We had some left over from last year,” Peterson said. “In terms of quantity, we always plan ahead by trying to secure other contracts.”
Having enough space to store extra salt is always a gamble, she added.

La Grange Park awaits hike
In La Grange Park, 1,200 tons of salt was purchased at a cost of $38.74 per ton, delivered, Public Works director Julius Hansen said. This year the village will pay $57.29 per ton, delivered.

“Actually it’s not as bad as we’ve been hearing on the grapevine,” Hansen said. “We’ve been hearing it was going to be $100 per ton. Last year, people who were running out were paying exorbitant prices. It’s all a matter of supply and demand.”

It is always hard to predict the weather and as a result, the amount of salt that will actually be needed, Hansen said. The question is not how much snow will fall in the season, but the amount of snowfalls that occur.

“Based on what we have used in the he past, we’re probably going to use 700 tons this year,” he said. “Last year, we spent $30,000. We budgeted $40,000 this year in anticipation of a cost increase.
 
Western Springs filled to brim
Western Springs Public Works Director Bill Nelson said the village purchases its supply directly from Morton Salt because the state will not guarantee delivery. In fact, he added, the state has yet to start making deliveries for the 2008-2009 season.

Meanwhile, the village’s salt storage facility is filled to maximum capacity.
During the last snow season, the village used about 1,800 tons, when it typically uses about 1,400 per season.

“If we had more, we probably would have used more,” Nelson said.

Cost per ton last year started at $43.

“We ended up buying salt for $80 a ton (last year),” Nelson said. “We actually drove to Columbus, Ohio, to get it. With labor and gas it probably brought that to $100. It was the only option. At the end of last year there was nothing available.”

This year Nelson laid in a supply of 500 tons at a cost of $103 a ton. That, he said, is a third of what he expects to use.

It really is more a question of frequency of storm events rather than total snowfall that determines salt use, he said.

“Everyone is saying it’s going to be a lot like last year,” Nelson said. “ If that’s the case were are going to need a lot more.”

Staff writers Joe Sinopoli, Janice Hoppe and Danya Hooker contributed to this report.