Plum public works department ready for snow

Plum public works crews have been moving salt in the shed and checking equipment in preparation for snowfall such as what hit the area Wednesday.

“We’re ready,” borough buildings and grounds supervisor Joe Fischetti said Tuesday evening. “Trucks are loaded. Plows are on.”

Trucks are routinely inspected to help prevent any issues, and crews are trained on how to treat roads.

“We make sure if we need any supplies whether it be truck parts, plow parts, anything that’s going to entail a breakdown of a vehicle,” Fischetti said. “We make sure salt’s screened and it’s pretty easy for the guys. They know what they’re doing. They know their routes. When it snows, they get in and they go.”

Plum has about two dozen public works employees to cover two 12-hour shifts during the winter season. Those shifts are offered December through April 1.

The borough has about 8,000 tons of salt on hand and typically uses about 4,500 tons per winter.

Borough Manager Michael Thomas said last winter was incredibly light in terms of snowfall, so only about 2,000 tons of salt was used.

Plum’s average annual cost for salt is about $340,000.

However, due to a large stockpile of salt from last season, the borough allocated just $250,000 for salt in the 2021 budget.

“That would permit us to purchase an additional 3,000 tons of salt before next Dec. 31 if needed,” Thomas said.

Thomas said public works trucks will be prepped for the next storm at the conclusion of the current one.

Plum gets its salt through the South Hills Area Council of Governments Purchasing Alliance.

About 100 municipalities are involved, said SHACOG Executive Director Lou Gorski.

Participants submit estimates of how much salt their towns might need to SHACOG, which then puts out a nationwide competitive opportunity for companies and selects the best bid.

“It is a joint effort from all the participating municipalities in the program,” Gorski said. “The goal is to present a volume to the market that will produce a good price.”

Communities are required to purchase at least 80% of their estimate, and get a price lock of up to 125% of their estimate, Gorski said. Estimates vary depending on need and size of the community.

The rate for the 2019-20 winter season was about $82 per ton. The 2020-21 winter rate is just under $79 per ton. The company awarded the latest SHACOG rock salt contract was Cargill.

“We have had other vendors in the past, but Cargill typically has the sharpest pencil,” Gorski said. “Meaning, they are the one out of the competitors that introduce the best bid.”

It is unclear how much more salt Plum might need this season.

Borough officials encouraged residents to have patience when crews tend to the roadways and always use caution when driving in inclement weather.

“The guys have their routes, and they hit their routes the way they need to be hit,” Fischetti said. “We do what we can do. No matter how hard the snow is coming down or how slow it’s coming down, we can only go so far and so fast. We get to it as good as we can.”

Michael DiVittorio is a TribLive reporter covering general news in Western Pennsylvania, with a penchant for festivals and food. He can be reached at mdivittorio@triblive.com.