City staff says increased use of liquid deicer bumped Spokane into a $115,000 contract limit; requests broader purchasing allowance

City staff told the Spokane City Council at its May 12 agenda briefing that recent changes in material use for winter operations led the city to exceed a contract value blanket and prompted a request to broaden purchasing authority for snow-fighting materials.

Clint Harris, a city presenter, said the city has relied on a mix of liquid and dry deicers since 2019 and this year increased use of a liquid product sold as Ice Kicker contributed to reaching the existing contract cap. "So this year, as we started using more of that material, we bumped up against that value blanket," Harris said.

The request is not to increase the total budget for snow materials, Harris told the council, but to allow crews to buy either liquid or dry products under the city's purchasing blanket to ensure flexibility during variable winter conditions. Harris explained the difference in products: Ice Kicker is marketed as "50% less corrosive" and is listed on the Pacific Northwest Snowfighters qualified product list; the city's liquid magnesium chloride also includes a corrosion inhibitor. He said performance varies by temperature and conditions and both product types are kept "in our toolbox." Harris added that a recently purchased little plow with a sander box will use dry materials as well.

The briefing cited that the specific contract for salt had a $115,000 value limit that did not account for the increased purchases of other deicing materials, which created the immediate constraint. Harris repeated that the council would not be asked tonight to raise the overall snow-material budget but to permit use of either material type under the blanket so crews are not constrained mid-season.

The item is listed on the consent agenda. Council members asked operational questions during the briefing; staff did not present a final ordinance or motion at this meeting.