After yet another snowfall greeted the Boston area yesterday morning, students are not the only ones wishing spring would arrive. The cities of Medford and Somerville and Tufts Facilities are well over their snow removal budgets this year due to this year's repeated storms.
Director of Facilities Ron Esposito said that snow removal this year has cost about twice the $68,000 budgeted for labor and material.
Both Somerville and Medford also face high overruns this year. According to officials, Somerville has spent well over twice its snow removal budget of $200,000 and Medford's snow removal expenses have already topped $700,000.
"With the number of storms we've had, we're a bit over our budget," Esposito said. "You do what you have to do to take care of the problem, irrespective of budget constraints." Esposito said the amount of this year's snowfall, compared to past years, was in the "top five."
With the addition of yesterday and Monday's snowfall, Boston received a total of 78.1 inches of snow this year, compared to an annual average of about 42 inches. The most snowfall in one winter on record is 107.6 inches. Monday night's snowfall was estimated to be 8.5 inches.
The University's snow removal budget is decided by considering the amount snowfall from the previous three years and making a projection from that. The overruns will be handled through small cuts to other line items in the facilities budget and Esposito said he is not concerned about the size of the overrun.
Medford, Somerville and Tufts are looking to receive assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to pay for part or all of the snow removal from the Jan. 22 blizzard, which closed down most of Boston and shut down the University for a day.
Tufts received federal aid in the past to offset its snow removal costs for the snow storm in November 2003.
Medford's Commissioner of Public Works Paul Gere said that he has received a federal commitment to pay for 75 percent of the snow removal cost from the January blizzard. Tufts is meeting with federal officials to discuss the matter this Friday.
Gere said that overtime payment for city employees and outside contractors was a large part of Medford's expenses. "The storms for some reason have been hitting on weekends, which are double time for my troops. It's been a costly year," Gere said. He also stated a higher price for salt this year, which rose from $28 per ton to $40 per ton, as another reason for the city's higher than expected expenses.
The frequency of large snow falls this year has created some "hitches" for Tufts, Esposito said, but the Department of Facilities has been able to handle most of them. "It's not been a big deal. We've been managing really well," Esposito said. Facilities employees have "done a wonderful job," he said.
Further snowfall also brings with it snow emergency declarations and the towing of cars from Medford and Somerville streets. Somerville tows an average of 150 to 200 cars during each snow emergency, while Medford tows 200 to 300, according to officials.
"The word is getting out there that we do tow. Are there still a lot of cars? Oh yeah," Gere said about towing cars from Medford's streets. Gere added that he sees many of the same cars when the city tows before each snow storm.
According to City of Somerville spokesman Mark Horan, the amount of cars being towed is decreasing every year. "What we're finding now is that more of the towing is on the side streets, because people on the main streets are getting the message."
