Northwood road crews’ salt supply running low, official says

1/27/2014

Northwood is running out of road salt, Public Service Director Craig Meier warned city council members last week.

Mr. Meier said his crews had used 1,700 tons of deicing salt on Northwood’s streets since December. His department has taken delivery of another 300 tons and has 100 tons more on the way, but has been unable to find any other suppliers.

“I can’t buy it anywhere,” he told a meeting of council’s service committee. “Right now, I have 500 to 600 tons.”

He said his drivers were focusing on main streets. Northwood’s trucks can carry 10 tons of salt.

City Administrator Bob Anderson had authorized the 300-ton salt purchase on his own as an emergency measure.

The cost came to $10,500, and council’s approval normally is required for purchases over $10,000. Council readily approved the expenditure after-the-fact last week at Mr. Anderson’s request.

In other business, council members appointed committee chairmen: Louis Fahrbach, safety; James Barton, service; Keith Dempsey, utilities; Edward Schimmel, economic development; Dean Edwards, finance, and Connie Hughes, environmental/​solid waste.

Council also approved advertising for bids on three projects: the Harding Lane storm-sewer installation, Wales Road lane-widening at East Broadway, and Wales repaving between Woodville and Oram roads.

In his 2014 state of the city address released to council, Mayor Mark Stoner highlighted more than $7 million in new construction in Northwood last year. Although that was a decrease from the $18 million builders spent in 2012, it “compares favorably with the $5 million invested in 2010 and the $8 million spent in 2011, and indicators show that the city is poised for a good year in 2014.”

The good news included growth in the city’s Birchwood Hollow subdivision, where 15 homes and villas were built at a cost of more than $1.2 million, and a host of expansions by firms in the city.

The city’s finance department, Mr. Stoner noted, had completed its 15th Comprehensive Annual Financial Report in 2013 and received the Certificate for Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers’ Association.