Board awards softener-salt bid to Morton Salt; deicing salt availability still unclear

The Board of Public Works and Safety voted July 15 to award the city’s softener-salt purchase to Morton Salt, identified in the meeting as the lowest responsible bidder at the transcribed price of $1.5921 per ton.

The Chair introduced the bid award, saying Morton Salt was the lowest responsible bid. A committee member moved to accept the Morton Salt bid for 2027 and (per the transcript) indicated a second; the board approved the motion by voice vote.

Board members noted that deicing (road) salt procurement for 2027 remains unresolved. The Chair said staff are still working to obtain pricing for deicing salt, that Compass Minerals had supplied the previous year, and that Compass reported supply was “hard to get.” The Chair said the board may need to rebid the deicing-salt contract and that staff will continue outreach with clerks and suppliers.

A committee member asked whether other cities were experiencing bid issues; a staff member said they would inquire with clerks. No dollar amounts, contract lengths, or supplier guarantees for deicing salt were finalized in the meeting.

The board took no further formal action on deicing salt pricing at the July 15 meeting and then proceeded to adjourn.