Security systems and salt: Powell approves $256K in public safety spending

POWELL — Road salt and security cameras don’t have much in common, but Powell officials say both will play a role in keeping the city safer this year.

City Council approved spending a combined $256,439 Tuesday on new security systems for public facilities and the city’s road salt supply for the upcoming winter.

Road salt prices soar amid statewide shortage

Council accepted a bid from Southwest Ohio Purchasers for Government (SWOP4G) for the 2026–2027 rock salt program with a contract term from Aug. 1, 2026 to July 31, 2027.

The awarded price is $105.79 per ton for 1,500 tons, resulting in a total contract amount of $158,685. The price marks an increase of $35.08 per ton — nearly a 50% jump compared to last year.

“If you look over the last 20 years, you’ll see gyrations in the price of salt. It’ll come down and then it’s sky high,” Vice Mayor Tom Counts said.

According to a memo to city council, the supplier said the increase is primarily due to reduced inventory availability, higher production and procurement costs, and transportation and delivery considerations.

Rock salt supplies across the northeast were significantly depleted during the 2025-26 winter season, prompting suppliers to be more cautious about how much salt they commit to sell and at what price.

The supplier said that approach is intended to ensure inventories can be replenished and deliveries fulfilled throughout the upcoming winter.

Charles Dukes, director of public service for the city of Powell, said the contract with SWOP4G only lasts a year. When the contract expires, Dukes plans to enter Powell into the state’s cooperative purchasing program.

Some cities and counties were not fortunate enough to receive bids for road salt through the state program, including nearby Richland, Ashland and Knox counties.

How to maximize salt supply

Powell already has 500 tons of salt leftover, bringing the total to 2,000 tons of salt for the city.

Dukes has other plans to maximize salt usage as well.

“I’m also looking at the future with technologies, watching our chloride usage, by doing that is with our trucks with automation. When you get a snow event, we can calibrate the pounds per lane now,” he told council.

Dukes also said his staff is receiving education and training regarding how long to allow the salt to sit before taking more actions, such as plowing or laying down more.

“Once it’s down, you have to let the salt work properly. And then another part of that, you don’t plow it up also, so let that salt work,” he said. “So it’s education and training, which we’re doing, and we did the first training last year here in the community. I think was a success.”

The city will also soon have a new piece of equipment that will help clear and maintain the bike path during winter months.

New security systems will merge cameras onto one platform

Council also approved the replacement and expansion of the city’s existing security camera system at city-owned facilities and parks.

The total project cost is almost $98,000 and includes the equipment, five-year camera licensing, installation, configuration, and cabling and connectivity components.

The project will eventually replace all existing cameras, which cover the parks, city buildings and the Powell Police Department.

City Manager Andy White said the city’s existing security systems are outdated and operate on different platforms, making it difficult to access and share information across facilities.

The project would replace 35 existing security systems and add coverage at new locations, including Bennett Farm, where the city plans to construct about 2,000 linear feet of trails.

White said additional security is particularly important in the city’s parks, where vandalism has been an ongoing problem.

“The vandals in our park systems have routinely destroyed property out at Seldom Seen, for example,” he said.

The upgrades would be phased in over several years, eventually bringing the city’s security systems onto a single platform.

By the end of the project, the city will have 43 new cameras across six city locations.

It will also expand coverage to the pickleball courts in Adventure Park, Seldom Seen Park, Arbor Ridge Park next to Bennett Farm Park and the Lechler Building.

City staff chose Proline Technology Inc. cameras after receiving 13 bids earlier this year.

City staff also initially planned for the project to include new, centralized electronic door access, but White said that’s something the city may reexamine in the future.