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Ellsworth approves 2026–27 road salt contract with Eastern Salt Company
Summary
At a special meeting, the Ellsworth City Council voted 6–1 to accept a one-year winter road salt contract with Eastern Salt Company at a delivered unit price of $72.42 per ton, funded from the FY27 highway operations budget; staff said the decision was driven by a narrow state acceptance window and overall value.
The Ellsworth City Council approved a one-year winter road salt contract with Eastern Salt Company at a delivered unit price of $72.42 per ton, funding to come from the FY27 highway operations budget, after a special meeting called because the state required a prompt acceptance.
A staff member summarized the procurement memo, saying the city pursued two options — a regional cooperative bid and the state contract — to compare pricing and ensure supply reliability. "As outlined in the memo, staff intentionally pursued two procurement options this year," the staff member said, and recommended accepting the state contract as the best value for Ellsworth.
Council members asked for specifics. Staff said the lowest cooperative bid was $75 per ton while the state contract price was $72.42 per ton. The staff member also said the city typically requests up to 3,000 tons when soliciting bids but has not used that full amount in recent years; last winter the city used 2,500 tons. Staff did not provide a completed total-dollar figure for the contract at the meeting.
Council members were told the state gave a short window to accept the contract, requiring staff to notify the state by the following day. The clerk read the motion to accept the Eastern Salt Company bid for the 2026–2027 winter road salt contract, specifying the delivered unit price of $72.42 per ton and funding through the FY27 highway operations budget. The motion was seconded and carried by a 6–1 vote; the record does not identify the motion mover by name but shows the second came from the public-works director.
The council discussion also included a brief exchange about salt quality and vendor performance; staff said Eastern Salt supplied last year and the city was satisfied. A council member made a lighthearted remark about "pink Himalayan sea salt," which drew laughter but did not affect the decision.
Next steps: staff will finalize contract paperwork and proceed with the accepted procurement. The exact total contract cost was not specified at the meeting.
