DPW outlines new plows, brine strategy and plans for additional salt storage

DPW Director Pat Cusick told the city caucus that the department has taken delivery of new equipment intended to strengthen winter operations, including a full‑size Freightliner garbage truck, an inbound street sweeper that does not require water, two dump trucks due in late April/early May, and two snow boxes (a 16‑foot and a 12‑foot) that attach to front loaders and backhoes for plowing.

Cusick said the two incoming dump trucks will increase the number of plow‑capable trucks from 18 to about 20. He declined to state the precise tonnage for the new garbage truck on the spot and said he would confirm the exact capacity rather than risk misquoting.

On salt and pre‑treatment strategy, Cusick emphasized that salt is not a substitute for plowing and described expanded use of a brine truck — a 33% mixture of water, salt and calcium — for pre‑treating bridges and steep hills. "Brine prevents ice from forming so it doesn't develop that covalent bond on the asphalt," he said, and added the city can pre‑salt up to 48 hours before a storm when conditions permit. He noted brine use is limited by temperature and equipment constraints and that the city has one brine truck in sustained operation after a repair earlier in the season.

Councillors asked whether the city could adopt PennDOT‑style automated wetting systems that meter water onto salt for better laydown. Cusick said that apparatus is expensive and requires significant storage space, but DPW is exploring alternatives — such as live wetting on the auger/spinner — and continuing to make brine operations more reliable.

Capacity and storage came into focus. Cusick said the old salt shed held about 800 tons and the current facility holds roughly 1,300 tons. Council members discussed establishing a second or satellite salt shed to reduce travel time to refuel during storms; Cusick estimated the cost of a full shed in the order of $700,000 and said DPW has repeatedly applied for multimodal and LSA funds but has not yet received awards.

Cusick also described investments in fleet telematics and route software (RouteWare/Rubicon) to track vehicle locations, route completion and, ultimately, road surface temperature to refine salt application. "If we can get the telematics like some of the state entities have... now you're getting road temperature," he said, noting that better data could reduce over‑ or under‑salting.

The caucus asked for follow‑up information on precise truck capacities, planned telematics procurement, status of grant applications, and a proposal for potential satellite salt shed locations that avoid floodplain constraints. Cusick agreed to provide the requested numbers and study materials.

The DPW presentation closed with a pledge to continue training and to expand use of technological tools to make winter responses more effective.