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Washington County committee reviews salt bid as towns consider piggybacking amid quality and price concerns
Summary
County staff presented a newly opened salt bid showing higher prices and zone-based delivery rates; committee discussed Buy American uncertainty at the state level, previous contamination complaints, and options for towns to opt into the county bid.
A county staff member told the Washington County committee that nine towns expressed interest in piggybacking on a county salt bid after the county solicited quotes organized into four delivery zones.
The staff member said the low bidder for the county contract was Atlantic (an overseas supplier) and that regional Office of General Services (OGS) procurement rules and new Buy American guidance created uncertainty about whether the state contract would include American suppliers or allow Canadian imports. “We wanted good quality salt,” the staff member said, describing towns’ preference for higher‑purity material after recent supply and contamination problems.
The committee heard the bid included four delivery zones with different per‑ton prices: zone A (Cambridge, Easton, Jackson, White Creek) at $89.00 per ton; zone B (Argyle, Fort Edward, Greenwich, Hebron, Salem) at $89.90 per ton; zone C (Fort Ann, Granville, Hartford, Kingsbury) at $94.00 per ton; and zone D (Dresden, Hampton, Putnam, Whitehall) at $92.90 per ton. The presenter said last year’s price had been about $70.15 per ton with no delivery differentials.
The staff member reviewed exceptions attached to the bid—such as a 30‑day pricing validity clause and a pass‑through for government‑imposed tariffs and shipping fees—and said the county had told bidders it would not accept exceptions. They also said Atlantic had not withdrawn its bid despite those terms.
Committee members asked whether towns that did not want to join the county bid would be locked into quantities. The staff member said towns would not be forced to buy; the county bid would be available to any town that elected to “piggyback” and ordering towns would only pay for what they ordered. She reminded members that submitting to a state OGS bid typically requires a commitment to purchase 50% of the quantity a municipality lists by May 1 and that OGS pricing can be fixed for up to 120 days.
Members also discussed prior problems with contaminated or wet material under the state contract that reduced actual salt content (the presenter said an informal test showed roughly 85% salt content in one sample). That history and the current market uncertainty were cited as reasons some towns preferred a separate county bid focused on material quality.
The committee voted to amend the resolution to include the proposed zone rates and moved to accept the county bid so towns that wish to use it can do so. The amendment and acceptance were approved by the committee.
The staff member said they would provide final bid documentation to towns and follow up on whether OGS will permit certain suppliers under new Buy American guidance. Committee members requested that staff notify towns of deadlines and clarify OGS outcomes when available.
