OUR PLACE
Salt, that has happened, and where is Ron Carsetensen, who was convicted of selling some of the city supply, but at least the city never rant out.
As of late January 2026, Wisconsin is experiencing a severe road salt shortage due to high demand from frequent winter storms and supply chain issues affecting deliveries to the Midwest. Municipalities and private contractors are rationing supplies, using sand-salt mixtures, or switching to brine, leading to increased costs and potentially less treated roads. The combination of an active, early winter season with heavy snow and freezing rain, along with logistical bottlenecks in getting salt to Great Lakes ports, has depleted stockpiles.
Salt prices have doubled or tripled. Many municipalities are prioritizing only main, high-traffic roads for salting to conserve remaining resources. Contractors and cities are increasingly relying on sand/salt mixtures, liquid brine, and, for smaller, private use, materials like kitty litter. Contractors say municipalities typically get priority access to salt, leaving private companies scrambling as winter storms pile up earlier than expected. Working in single-digit temperatures is nothing new for snow crews, but rationing salt this early in the season is raising concerns. Early November snowfall and multiple winter weather events quickly depleted supplies. At Jones Island, a major hub for salt from various producers, piles appeared noticeably smaller than in past years. Moving forward, crews will rely more on brine and ration salt by applying lighter treatments when possible.
The God-awful downtown road construction project is set to kick off next year.
It is a looming disaster for downtown businesses. The Highway 50 road construction project is expected to start in February 2027 and last approximately two years. Maneuvering cars and people around downtown is going to be a concern. The Business Improvement District and the city are trying to come up with ideas and get a plan in place to help with the travel issues.
The BID has presented the idea of trolleys in the city in the past and even went as far as researching what that looks like, as there are a lot of moving parts to make this happen. There’s the purchase of trollies, staffing to operate the service, financial commitments to fund the operation, location and housing of the trollies, and much more.
The city council did discuss the potential purchase of two Trollies from Jones Bus Service, which are for sale right now. Of course, before the purchase can be made, more thought needs to be done, and the city would need a concrete plan to jump on this opportunity. Whatever decision is made, it needs to be done fast, as the Jones Trollies have other interested buyers, and used trollies in good condition do not go up for sale often, and the road construction on Highway 50 will be here before we know it, and downtown is going to need some help staying vibrant and inviting.
