It’s been a long, cold winter for Public Works employees to weather as at least 14 different snowstorms have already melted through the entirety of the department’s $500,000 snow removal budget.

With spring in sight, officials have their fingers crossed in the hopes that the region stay free of snowfall until at least the second town deliberative session on March 14, when it will be up to voters to budget the department a further $500,000 for winter maintenance for the rest of this season and into November and December. Public Works Director Rick Russell is not concerned that voters would fail to approve his budget request for the next year – historically, residents have supported his department’s financial requests when it comes to public safety – but two tough winters in a row have been hard on his department.

In the meantime, Russell said the department could draw on money set aside in a trust fund to continue winter weather operations.

With 375 miles of road, 31 miles of sidewalk and 33 municipal parking lots that need to be cleared, Russell’s employees work up to 48 hour shifts with few breaks after each snow storm.

“Everybody is just out there from the start to the finish.They’ll have their breaks through the storm when we get a little lull. We got a couple of hours during the last storm when it wasn’t snowing too hard and the guys were able to take a lunch,” Russell said. “When it stops snowing, the thing is the contractors go home, but the town employees still have to treat the roads with salt and then we have the sidewalks that have to be cleared for school ... They just keep going. Sometimes it takes a couple of days after the storm. We could be working two or three days after the storm.”

According to David Wholley, Public Works operations manager, the department has gone through just over 8,000 tons of salt this season, spent about $800,000 in salt, sand and salt treatment, $250,000 in contracted plowing and is one snowstorm short of tying last years record high number of plowing operations.

What the figures do not reflect is the amount of extra work that goes into preparing for a snowstorm, from sharpening snowplow blades to maintenance work on the trucks, and cleaning up after them, Wholley said. Employees go out to help residents fix overturned mailboxes, clean off graves and shovel off walkways.

“It has been tough, it always is. (The staff) understand the incredible importance of providing public safety for the community that they work in,” Wholley said. “We do a good job, and I think the public demands that of us anyway.”

Still, with spring only weeks away, Wholley said there are some on his staff that are hoping for more snow. With the record for most plow operations within sight and with the coveted title of “Winter Warrior” – awarded annually to those employees who have worked through each and every snowstorm of the season – on the line, not every member of the staff is content for March to go out like a lamb.

“If it does snow again, and we’ve got to plow another operation, there’s actually probably over half the staff that’s actually hoping for two plow operations. They’re saying, ‘We’ve come this far, let’s at least tie it or break the record,’” Wholley said with a laugh. “Looking at the money we’re expending, I would rather just let the dogs lie and pull up anchor and leave it at that. I hope mother nature doesn’t accommodate them.”