City Makes Rock Salt Available Free to Residents

Starting today, the city is giving free rock salt away to Kent residents as a means to encourage people to shovel and salt their sidewalks after snow storms.

Residents can pick up rock salt from a large trash bin at the yard waste area next to .

Kent City Manager Dave Ruller announced the news Thursday on his website about the new, free salt program.

Residents can find the salt bin just outside the fence surrounding the yard waste site. City service employees will fill the bin, which will be available to residents 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Ruller said the city will monitor video surveillance cameras trained on the bin to make sure contractors and other businesses don't use it to fill their trucks.

"We’re hoping that this new service offers a small incentive to get more shovels and snow blowers working on city sidewalks to keep pedestrians safe," Ruller wrote on his blog.

The free salt program is part of an ongoing discussion among city leaders and members about the city's sidewalks. Late last year, council members discussed the idea of paying contractors to clear certain sections of high-traffic sidewalks after snow storms, but after a lengthy discussion council couldn't reach an agreement and the proposal failed to pass.

The city also has a lending program for yard tools that includes snow shovels — yet another effort to encourage snow shoveling. And each year who do an exceptional job of keeping sidewalks clean around their property and neighborhood.

Ruller said he's hopeful that giving rock salt away is a better means to encourage snow shoveling than establishing stricter laws and penalties for people who don't clear their walks.

"The expectation is that good neighbors do their part to keep the sidewalks around their homes clear, but legislating good neighborliness has proven to be problematic," he said.