By Dakota Antelman and Laura Hayes
REGION – Recent winter weather has posed a challenge for some area municipalities, straining snow removal budgets still with several weeks to go in the winter season.
Local Department of Public Works (DPW) officials have provided updates on all this in recent days, offering a varied outlook in public meetings and in conversations with the Community Advocate.
“Fingers crossed that we have a very gentle remainder of February,” Northborough Director of Public Works Scott Charpentier told his town’s Board of Selectmen back on Feb. 14.
Northborough official notes budget situation
Northborough began its year with $437,000 in its snow and ice budget.
The town previously had just under $60,000 remaining in the budget on Feb. 10, before the region’s latest round of major accumulating snow on Feb. 13 and Feb. 14.
That storm dropped 7.5 inches of snow on Northborough, bleeding roughly $48,000 off the budget.
As a result, Northborough had just $12,000 for future use when Charpentier gave his presentation.
“That was an expensive snow event,” Charpentier said.
Initially forecast as a comparatively minor storm, this batch of snow dragged on for hours, piling on top of other recent events, including last month’s blizzard and a messy sleet/ice storm that followed just a matter of days later.
On Saturday, sanding trucks and plows were then out again in force as a brief but powerful snow squall rolled across the region, creating white-out conditions and ushering in a “flash freeze” of moisture on roads.
“Long term snow events like that are very costly,” Charpentier said of previous events before the squall.
Back on Feb. 13, crews got to work at 6 a.m. and left at 10 a.m. They then returned at 5 p.m. and left at 7 a.m. the next day. Crews subsequently worked from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Valentine’s Day, Charpentier said.
“It was a long, long drawn out event,” he continued.
A total of 41.2 inches of snow had fallen in Northborough as of Feb. 14. That was below last year’s snow totals for this point in the year.
The DPW has had to deploy its machinery more often, though, for “salt-only events,” of which there had been 12, according to a memo from Charpentier to Town Administrator John Coderre.
Charpentier estimated that the town spends $7,000 every time they drive around Northborough and salt the roads.
“So, for a freezing rain event that takes the duration of the day, we could salt the roads four, five times. That’s a $35,000 afternoon,” Charpentier said.
Westborough anticipates need for additional funding
Outside of Northborough, in Westborough, DPW Director Chris Payant said last week that he expects that “additional funds will be allocated by the town for the current snow fighting season.”
“Similar to other communities, we work very hard to stay within the snow operations budget provided by the town,” he told the Community Advocate. “Of course, we don’t control the weather, so long duration storms, such as those recently experienced, have cost implications related to material, equipment, and contract support.”
Payant cited rising material costs as an additional factor complicating this situation.
Westborough’s typical snow operations budget normally sits around $500,000, Payant said.
This year, he said, additional funds will help buy more road treatment material and maintain equipment, among other things.
Southborough budget ‘is doing OK’
As Northborough hopes for lighter weeks ahead, and as Westborough anticipates a need for more money, Southborough’s DPW Superintendent Karen Galligan said last week that her department’s snow budget “so far, is doing OK.”
The town had spent 56% of that budget as of Feb. 17, Galligan told the Community Advocate.
As Charpentier noted in Northborough, Galligan said this spending had largely been driven by overtime and salt line items.
“We aren’t out of the woods yet for snow and ice by any means,” she said.
Looking ahead, though, she circled the third week of March as a threshold for this year’s budget.
“At that point, if there is still a double digit percentage left in the budget, you’re likely to make it through without too much of a deficit,” she said.
Budget concerns pile on already difficult winter
Snow and ice events have hit municipal budgets just as local DPW crews contend with worse-than-usual road conditions this winter.
Wild temperature swings have combined with heavy plowing activity to open potholes across area roads, officials have said.
“The potholes are everywhere,” the Marlborough DPW’s Assistant Commissioner of Operations Theodore Scott noted earlier this month.
“In past years, we usually have several locations that are problematic,” he continued. “This year, [potholes] are forming in roads that are in better condition.”
Facing those pothole problems on top of tight snow removal budgets, DPW officials have thanked their staff while noting the difficulties of their jobs.
“We are fortunate to have a great team of dedicated DPW employees and supporting contract plow operators who take care of the town’s snow operations requirements,” Payant said. “Despite the warmer weather expected in the coming days, we’re not letting our guard down regarding snow operations.”
“We’re confident that we’ll have the resources necessary to provide the service the town expects for the remainder of the winter season,” he continued.
In Northborough, selectmen similarly thanked Charpentier and his department during their meeting.
“They do a fabulous job,” said Selectman Leslie Rutan.
DPW officials in Marlborough, Hudson and Shrewsbury were not available for comment for this article.
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