Coopertown hears phased salt‑shed plan: $50,000 phased build or $150,000 turnkey option

A licensed engineer and surveyor presented the Coopertown board with a preliminary design and a phased procurement approach for a new salt‑storage building intended to reduce recurring costs and simplify winter operations.

“I’m at preliminary design … within the budget that Mr Roads gave me $50,000 — that’s what I was able to come up with a solution,” the presenter said, describing a block‑based foundation and a pre‑engineered superstructure to be erected in phase three. He contrasted a phased, town‑assisted approach — site leveling, gravel and a 6‑inch concrete slab, then foundation and superstructure — estimated around $50,000, with a vendor‑delivered turnkey option that could reach about $150,000.

The presenter said the phased approach relies on town labor for hauling gravel and some on‑site work to reduce cost; he estimated potential savings of roughly $10,000 per year from avoiding repeated bag‑salt handling and rental/transport costs, though precise labor and hauling estimates remained to be provided. The contractor lead time for the superstructure was described as roughly three to four months.

Board members discussed the fiscal‑year timing for split purchases and whether to place a phase‑three purchase order in July so the structure would arrive before the next winter. The presenter recommended doing heavy site work in dry months and phasing purchases across fiscal years to smooth budget impacts.

Next steps: the board asked staff to return with itemized labor, hauling and gravel costs and clarified procurement requirements for the structure; no formal procurement decision or contract award is recorded in the transcript.