Fiscal Note
Acceptance of this report requires no appropriation. Implementation of the recommendations contained in this report would have a number of modest economic impacts, some resulting in added costs and others generating savings. Some of these items are identified in the sections of the report entitled "Short Term Recommendations & Estimated Costs" and "Long Term Recommendations", which can be found on pages 13 through 16 of the report.
The establishment of a weather monitoring station ($30,000 to $50,000 for start up costs, plus $2,200 to $2,400 annually) is recommended, as is an anti-icing demonstration ($5,000 to $10,000). Enhanced snowplow driver training is also recommended ($500 per session), along with infrared pavement and air sensors for supervisory vehicles and snowplows ($400 to $800 per vehicle), and a consultant to train private applicators ($3,000).
On the savings side, it is recommended that the percentage of salt in the salt/sand mix be reduced from the current 20% to a new level of 10% (for savings of $330 per 100 tons of sand used) or even 5% (for savings of $500 per 100 tons of sand used). And a recommendation of reducing salt usage from the current 150 pounds per lane mile to a new standard of 100 pounds per line mile is projected to save the City $75,000 to $90,000 in an average year.
No additional appropriation is required for 2007. The fiscal impact of these and other recommendations will be integrated into future capital and operating budget requests.
Title
SUBSTITUTE - Approving the report of the Salt Use Subcommittee to the City's Commission on the Environment and adopting the recommendations of the report.
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WHEREAS the amount of road salt used on public streets has been increasing since the 1960's when a "clear road bare pavement" policy was put in place;
WHEREAS in 1972, the City of Madison Common Council directed the Streets Division to reduce by 50% (150 pounds per lane mile) the amount of road salt used for winter maintenance, and this goal has never been met;
WHEREAS the level of chloride in surface water and drinking wells has been increasing for several decades;
WHEREAS the level of chloride in drinking wells will continue to increase because it takes groundwater years to reach the aquifer;
WHEREAS the recommended drinking water maximum for sodium is 20 mg/L, one abandoned drinking well had sodium levels exceeding 45 mg/L, and three other wells have sodium levels in excess of 20 mg/L;
WHEREAS the private application rate of road salt is estimated to be comparable to the level applied to public streets (approximately 9,000 tons per year in the City of Madison);
WHEREAS only 30% of the land area drained by the Yahara River north of Lake Waubesa lies within the City of Madison;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the City of Madison Common Council hereby approve the report of the Salt Use Subcommittee to the City's Commission on the Environment and adopt the following recommendations of the report:
1. Continue to provide a weather/temperature monitoring station on southwest side in the City of Madison to-- This would allow city crews to get detailed weather information. sooner since most winter storms come from that direction -- Initial cost is $30,000 to $50,000; annual operating cost is $2,200 to $2,400.
2. Consider a demonstration of the Demonstrate anti-icing technique with salt brine using Dane County equipment in Odana Golf Course Pond watershed -- Golf course pond already has extensive monitoring equipment installed. -- Cost is $5,000 to $10,000 for one winter season.
3. Continue city Increase snow plow driver training to prevent excess use of salt and continue to provide educational opportunities and training for private all applicators. -- Cost approximately $500 per session.
4. Strive to reduce salt content of sand from 20%10% to 5% (salt is added to prevent sand from clumping), continue to work towards more consistent ways of mixing the sand-salt mixture, and continue to test the salt content. -- The material savings would be about $500 per 100 tons of sand used.
5. Over a period of 5 years, decrease the amount of salt used per lane mile by 10 pounds per year (from 150 pounds to 100 pounds per lane mile). This would be done in conjunction with a driver awareness program -- At the 100 pounds per lane mile application rate, the savings would be $75,000 to $90,000 per winter season. Proactively work with other Dane County municipalities to systematically decrease the amount of salt used each year.
6. HaveConsider installing onboard temperature sensors installed in supervisor's trucks or other comparable pavement temperature sensor systems -- Cost is $400 to $800 each.
7. Provide educational material and training for private applicators -- City-sponsored training would cost approximately $3,000 for one two-day session.(moved to #3)
8. Calibrate private operator equipment.(moved to #10)
9. Provide educational material to homeowners.
107. Develop ordinances for regulating private commercial application, operating equipment, and including require annual compliance reporting requirements -- likely a consultant would need to be hired for this.
38. Conduct extended monitoring of sodium and chloride levels in storm water runoff, lakes, and groundwater to provide sufficient data for expanded modeling program -- This would require additional funds for Health Department staff.
1. Consider working with U.S. Geological Survey to project future lake chloride levels using Use computer modeling in order to determine potential issues and set benchmarks for improvement to determine future levels of chloride in Madison lakes and streams -- staff would need to consult with USGS to do this.
102. Consider developing an driver alert program for classifying informing roadway users to winter weather and road conditions.
1411. Streets Department shall continue to report progress annually by June 1 and continue to survey national trends/developments in road salt application techniques. to Commission on the Environment.
1512. Request that the Dane County Lakes and Watersheds Commission do the following:
a. Survey other governmental agencies, municipalities, and private salt applicators in the area to determine their road salt policies
b. Establish benchmarks for chloride content in lake water
c. Recommend policies to all governmental agencies, municipalities, and private salt applicators to achieve the benchmarks by a date established by the Commission.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Streets Division and other appropriate agencies are hereby directed to implement the recommendations, subject to budget approval; and that the Commission on the Environment report annually to the Council, as to the progress of implementation.