The many times snow has fallen this winter has prompted the Vienna Town Council to order nearly $60,000 worth of road de-icing salt to keep the local roads as safe as possible in inclement weather.
“The past light winters lulled us into a false sense of complacency about the need for salt,” Director of Public Works Dennis Johnson told the Council during its Monday night, Jan. 27, meeting.
As a result, he didn’t bring a request to the Town Council to fund this item in its budget. Otherwise, it would have been a routine renewal of the contract.
So on Monday, Johnson formally asked the Council for permission to purchase 1,100 tons of road de-icing salt from International Salt Co., LLC in the amount of $59,048. The Council members approved unanimously.
Johnson also noted that, so far, the town has used 63 percent of its money budgeted for overtime snow removal and 37 percent of what it had on hand for operating supplies (de-icing salt and magnesium chloride to treat the roads). So, he said, “We’re in good shape.”
In other business, the Council members also unanimously approved a request to award the Meadow Lane SW and Gibson Drive SW drainage-improvement contract to American Contractors Inc. The contract amount is $198,066.
— Bonnie Hobbs