Today I had the pleasure of meeting with our City Administrator Michael Boulton, and our Public Works Director Brad Kennedy to chat about the new Sand and Salt shed located just east of the Public Works Building on Highway 60. I asked Michael to give me a run down on what's happening this year.
The City of Wanamingo has been working on upgrading the process for snow and ice removal as the budget has allowed. Growth in the City, aging/too small equipment, and residents demand for quicker snow removal have created a need for upgrades. The upgrades include both equipment, material, and storage. In 2023 the City constructed a new salt sand shed, leased a larger skid loader, and purchased a new v-plow attachment for the skid loader. These upgrades allow for increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of the snow removal process.
The new salt sand shed replaced a concrete block, dirt floor, and a wood framed roof. The dirt floor allowed salt-sand to be exposed to ground elements and washing into street. The short roof height did not allow for adequate clearance to load and unload salt/sand. This made loading even more difficult while already dealing with the elements. The old structure had limited capacity, which lead to frequent requests for refills.
Area Cities are migrating away from spreading only salt-sand mixture. Most area cities also spread direct salt. Wanamingo wants to have a salt option to spread on the road for melting ice. The salt/sand option works better for traction. The City ordered 75 tons of salt through Cargill as part the MNDOT cooperative purchasing for the 2023-2024 winter. The City also receives salt/sand mixture from Goodhue County on an as needed basis in return for snow removal on County Road 63 around the school. The salt and salt/sand mixtures needed to be stored on the concrete.
The City Council was presented the concept plan at the June 2023 meeting while the final plans were approved at the July 2023 meeting. The new salt sand shed was constructed late summer. B & N Construction installed a 24’ x 30’ heavy floating slab type foundation, 10” thick 6’ high walls on three sides, and a 4’ x 25’ apron between the structure and curb. Jason Bauer Construction and the City maintenance staff constructed the 6’ sidewalls and engineered rafters, and steel siding and roof. The total cost to construct the building was $30,231.32. The salt/sand shed construction costs are being paid out of the Storm Water Fund.
The new street salt-sand and sand shed will be a savings on maintenance staff time with unloading and loading. The new shed will allow for additional storage and rely less on deliveries on demand during winter. The salt mixture should be more efficient with keeping intersections melted than the salt/sand combination, reducing ice buildups. Utilizing less salt/sand will be better for the environment by not having so much salt/sand go down the storm drains. It will keep more sand off the streets in the spring requiring less street sweeping and cleaning out of storm lines.
The City has ordered a new Ford 550 chassis truck with stainless steel box with hoist, 5/8” pull plate hauling system, hydraulics & controls, light bars and strobes, toolbox, front snow plow, and snow plow wing. The Ford 550 chassis has a State bid price of $61,230.40 while the accessories have a State bid price of $82,447. The total cost of the snow plow will be $143,677.40. The snow plow will be paid for with levy dollars in 2024 that are no longer dedicated toward bond payments that were fully repaid in 2023. The new plow truck is expected to be delivered and ready before 2024-2025 winter season.
The City hopes that the equipment upgrades, use of alternative material, and increased material storage allows the maintenance staff to be more efficient and effective with snow removal in the future.
I asked Michael, "As the City Administrator, one of your jobs is the budget. Was this project waiting for the levy dollars to be paid up before adding another project, or was it a lucky coincidence? Either way, there will be no fees added to the taxpayers, right?" Michael replied "The City of Wanamingo is working on capital planning years in advance. This is not always easy because priorities change from year to year. However, the City knows when bond payments are completed or can add to the next year's capital budget. The City can either take what would have been the yearly bond payments and/or additional capital budget for current capital needs, save multiple years for capital purchases, or take on new debt for the next capital purchase or improvement."
I then talked to Brad Kennedy about the reasons he saw a need for this project. "It will be a much faster and safer way to keep the streets clean. The size of the old building was inadequate for the equipment we use, and we needed a concrete floor and partial walls as an upgrade for storing sand and salt. There will be less ground contamination, and less product waste. The new equipment will result in faster snow removal , and safer roads for our residents."
Well, there you have it! An idea brought up by Public Works, and approved by your City Council to make your winter driving safer. Thanks for the good job!
