Winter Is Plowing Through The Snow Removal Budget

By Jan Howard

This winter’s snowstorms and cold weather are fast depleting the Highway Department’s supply of sand and salt and its overtime budget.

To keep roads safe and clear of snow and ice during future storms, the Board of Selectmen on Monday voted unanimously to approve Department of Public Works Director Fred Hurley’s request for a transfer of $100,000 from contingency to augment the three winter maintenance accounts of overtime, sand, and salt.

The request was to be considered by the Board of Finance at its meeting yesterday (Thursday). If approved, it will go on to the Legislative Council.

Mr Hurley said Wednesday that, including last Sunday’s storm, the department had spent a total of $219,550 for overtime, sand, and salt out of a total budget of $255,000, with $106,314 for overtime alone and more than $50,000 each for salt and sand.

Mr Hurley said Sunday’s storm cost about $27,000.

Last year, Mr Hurley said overtime costs topped off at $188,974, with $130,000 for sand and $102,000 for salt.

An early December snowstorm cost the town $80,187 in sand, salt, and overtime, about a third of the amount budgeted. Because it was a weekend storm, just as Sunday’s was, all the salary costs were in overtime.

Mr Hurley said the department has a supply of about 500 to 600 tons of salt and 2,500 yards of sand in reserve, which would be enough for three or four small storms.

The requested additional allocation should get the department through the winter. However, Mr Hurley noted, “February is the snowiest month of the winter.”

In other business, the Board of Selectmen made the following appointments: Republican Kelly Urso, Library Board of Trustees; Republican Jeffrey Ritter, Conservation Commission; Republican Barbara Brymer, Planning and Zoning Commission, to fill the unexpired term of Daniel Fogliano; Republican Robert Mulholland, alternate, Planning and Zoning Commission, to fill the vacancy left by Ms Brymer; and Republican Jane Sharpe, alternate, Hattertown Historic District Commission.

The Board of Selectmen also voted 2-0-1, with Selectman Bill Brimmer abstaining, in favor of a resolution to authorize William Brimmer, Jr, to preside in the event the town agent, Selectman Joe Bojnowski, is unable to perform his duties in the absence of the first selectman.