Kosciusko County Highway Superintendent Dennis Pletcher told the county commissioners Tuesday his department has used most of the material they have for clearing county roads this winter.
Pletcher said it isn't just the amount of snow the county's gotten this season that's depleted his department's salt and sand, but the way the winter storms have been spaced out along with the cold temperatures also have contributed. Pletcher said his department started the winter with 1,250 tons of salt, which they mixed with sand. More than three quarters of the material has been depleted."We're doing the very best with what we have," Pletcher said. "We're trying to be frugal with it."
Pletcher said his department is experimenting with a calcium chloride solution called Boost, which they mix with their sand and salt to make it go further.
"It allows you to use less salt on your roads," he said.
Pletcher said Boost has a lower melting temperature than salt, which helps the melting material last longer. Boost also can be used as a pretreatment to stop ice and snow from freezing to the road.
"That makes it easier to plow the stuff off the road," Pletcher said.
Pletcher said he did some research on other counties that have used Boost and decided to use it on an experimental basis this year. He said his department will assess whether or not the material saved the county money at the end of the year.
Over the past five years, Pletcher said, the state has gradually lowered highway department budgets. He said in years before the cuts began, the county was able to accumulate a "rainy day" fund to help the department through tight times. That fund, Pletcher said, has been depleting.
Pletcher said, despite the challenging situation his department is in, things could be worse. The county was able to buy salt for about $56 per ton this year. Pletcher said other counties weren't so fortunate.
"Some had to pay more than $100 per ton," he said. "We were really blessed by God."
In other news, the commissioners approved a highway request to change the two-way stop at Cornelius and East Shore drives to a three-way stop.
The commissioners also approved a 45-mph speed zone on County Farm Road, from CR 450S to Hoppus Road.
