Council committees approve forwarding plan to join state cooperative road-salt purchase

At the transportation committee meeting April 13, Chair Claude Felder and Mayor Patterson explained that the city will apply to the Ohio Department of Transportation cooperative purchasing program to buy road salt for winter 2026–2027. The mayor described the program as providing stronger purchasing power and said the expense was already budgeted.

"This is the Costco of buying roads through the state," the mayor said, noting ODOT’s short application window and the program’s favorable pricing. The mayor added the city currently has a small surplus in salt bins after the recent winter and will factor inventory into its purchase plan.

Committee members asked whether last winter’s heavy use affected inventory and whether the city could rely on district partners if it ran low. The mayor said the city can work with ODOT’s district and that forecasts remain uncertain given climate variability.

The committee moved the item forward without objection to allow the administration time to prepare the application; the clerk noted that forwarding may require suspending council rules at first reading to meet the state timeline.