By Darrell Halen
Snowfall isn’t the only thing heavy in this wintry season. So, too, has been the expense of clearing, salting and sanding roads in Salem-area communities.
Big snowstorms in December took a big bite out of municipal snow removal budgets
Salem budgeted $578,934 for winter operations in 2007, according to Finance Director Jane Savastano. It has spent $619,149 so far, with a few more bills to come in.
In November, the town had $111,000 on hand. But December’s snowstorms took a big whack in the budget – $150,000 – forcing the town to go about $40,000 over budget.
The amount of space that public works employees and contractors are responsible for clearing in Salem is extensive: 375 lane miles, 31 miles of sidewalks, 13 buildings and several other areas.
Thirty-nine public works employees, along with 29 contracted workers, “fight the fight,” said Dave Wholley, the department’s operations manager.
The workers, who are assigned to 41 predetermined routes, have seen 37 inches of snowfall this season.
“We’re always going to get the work done,” he said. “We won’t compromise public safety.”
Of the 375 lane miles they plow, 30 of those are unpaved roads. Included also is a 5-mile stretch of Route 28 from Old Rockingham Road to the Massachusetts border.
There are nine parks and parking lots that the departments salts and sands. It also plows some of them.
Some other areas of responsibility: salting and sanding at the towns’ six public schools, clearing and maintaining water department areas, and clearing several water and sewer department areas.
“It’s quite an undertaking,” Wholley said.
December was one of the busiest months the department has had. Workers had a couple of 24-hour shifts, and a couple of men worked 30-hour shifts this winter, Wholley said.
A pair of storms at the end of the month kept workers busy.
“Those two back-to-back storms during the holidays were tough on the guys,” Wholley said.
Snow storms in December had a big impact on Windham’s budget. The town spent about $72,270 – 44 percent of its 2007 winter contracted services budget – during that month alone.
To date, the town has spent $161,765 on contracted services out of $168,000 that was budgeted for 2007. Its winter materials cost was $90,700.
In 2006, the town spent $82,480 on contracted services. Its winter materials budget that year was $88,380.