Blairsville accepts salt bid with steep cost hike, hopes for better price through state program

Blairsville Borough has accepted a road salt bid from Cargill, but council members are hoping they won't need to make use of it for 2015-16 winter road maintenance.

At council's May 20 meeting, rescheduled because of the May 19 primary election, borough manager Tim Evans reported that the price for next season's road salt has increased sharply from the rate Blairsville paid for this past winter's order.

Last year, Evans said, the borough ordered road salt from American Rock Salt, taking advantage of per-ton prices of $64.45 available to municipalities through a statewide bidding process and of $65 obtained through bids sought jointly by a smaller pool of municipalities belonging to the Indiana-Westmoreland Council of Governments.

This year, he said, American Rock Salt did not submit a bid through the COG. The lowest per-ton prices received were $85.55 from Compass Minerals (formerly North American Salt) and $93.95 from Cargill.

Evans expressed hope that lower prices will be available when this year's statewide bids are announced in August, but he said the borough needed to take action before then on the COG bids.

Blairsville has a 120-ton supply of salt on hand. But Evans told council, “These past two winters have been pretty rough. I hate not having a backup.”

Acting on Evans' recommendation, council voted to accept Cargill's higher bid to supply salt because he noted the offer is not contingent on making a minimum purchase. In contrast, the Compass bid would have required the borough to purchase at least 80 percent of the 300 tons specified in the bid.

“Eighty percent is crazy,” Evans said, noting a minimum order of 60 percent of the total supply requested applies with statewide bidding.

Borough solicitor Bob Bell advised that Compass' minimum purchase requirement was sufficient reason for council to opt against the usual requirement to accept the low bid.

Council also authorized Evans to write a letter supporting the Blairsville Volunteer Fire Company's application for a low-interest federal loan to help with purchase of a new fire truck. The letter acknowledges that the truck will be stored at the Blairsville fire station on West Campbell Street.

The fire company is seeking a $125,000 loan through the U.S. Department of Agriculture at an interest rate of 2 percent.

According to Fire Chief George Burkley, the company looks to finance the $425,000 truck purchase by borrowing an additional $200,000 through the Pennsylvania Fire Commission. That loan also would carry a 2 percent interest rate.

Council members Paul Fodor and Ab Dettorre, who also serve with the fire company, described the new fire engine that is on order.

“This is just bare bones, what we need,” Fodor said of the combination tanker/pumper truck the firefighters are purchasing.

According to Dettorre, the new truck will have a 15-kilowatt generator and a tank capable of holding 1,500 gallons of water, replacing a 1983 fire engine that has a 1,000-gallon tank. Two other trucks in the fire company's fleet can carry 750 gallons each.

The new truck “has a capacity to carry a lot of water in the event of a daytime fire, if we don't have the manpower to hit a hydrant,” said Dettorre.

Burkley later added that the new truck will be capable of pumping 1,500 gallons of water per minute, will carry 1,500 feet of 5-inch hose and will have room for six crew members.

The Rosenbauer brand truck, purchased through Kaza Fire of Ebensburg, is being built in South Dakota. Delivery is expected by Febuary.

The new engine will be the first addition to the fleet since the company purchased a rescue truck about five years ago.

Fodor said the firefighters could end up simply mothballing the 1983 truck, which is an American LaFrance model, since there isn't much of a market for used engines of that vintage.

Dettorre credited the work of local service specialist David Fortunato for keeping the Blairsville company's trucks well-maintained and on the road for multiple decades.

Fodor and Dettorre also responded to recent media reports that have raised questions about minimum standards for Pennsylvania firefighters.

Fodor said the Blairsville Fire Company has its own demanding requirements for membership. He said applicants to become a Blairsville firefighter must pass a criminal background check as well as scrutiny by the company's investigating committee.

New firefighters are required to complete 168 hours of initial training. They must complete an additional 16 hours of “structure burn” training before they can participate in an interior attack on a structure fire.

In order to keep his skills sharp, Fodor said he has participated in the structure burn class each of his 13 years with the Blairsville company.

Dettorre said he believes the level of ongoing training maintained by volunteers with Blairsville's company and other local, rural fire departments compares favorably with that of firefighters in larger communities.

“I don't think the knowledge factor is that much of a dropoff. These are not easy classes,” Dettorre said. Noting the other obligations he faced until recently as a high school teacher and coach, Dettorre said the 500 some hours of training he's completed is “on the lower end” of the training experience achieved by other veteran members of the Blairsville company. He noted weekly drills are supplemented by more involved training at the Indiana County Fire Academy or through Westmoreland County Community College.

“It's the real deal,” Dettorre said of a facility at the County Fire Academy where firefighters can experience a simulation of entering a burning structure.

Dettorre credited former fire chief Dana Gould with helping to establish a strong foundation of training for the Blairsville company. Fodor also cited the contributions of the company's experienced safety officers, Jim Meighan and Terry Shepherd.

“There's always room for improvement, but I really like the direction we're going,” Dettorre said of the Blairsville company.

Council tabled for review two bids received for the borough's proposed summer paving project. Bid totals were $100,715.55 from Quaker Sales and $113,828 from Derry Construction.

Evans said costs would have to be broken out for paving of borough streets targeted for improvement and for paving of the municipal parking lot and of the fire hall parking lot, which also was included in the joint bidding.

Jeff Himler is an editor for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 724-459-6100, ext. 2910 or jhimler@tribweb.com.