Snowless Roads Save Money
Tuesday, December 27th, 2011 -- 12:30 PM
(Neillsville, Wis.) No white on the ground means more green in the coffers of area road maintenance budgets.Municipalities budget on a year-to-year basis?not a winter-to-winter basis. That means the winter clean-up budget covers January, February and March and November and December of the same year.
Neillsville Public Works Director Dave Flynn says this snow-less weather has been just what the doctor ordered after a pretty rough end to last winter.
"We used more money in snow removal. We had a little bit more winter. That left our budget short this fall," Flynn notes, "which is kind of nice since we have the weather we (have)."
Flynn says he?s only sent the plows out once so far, though they have done some salting. He projects the mild weather will help them make their $44,000 snow removal budget for 2011.
Clark County Highway Commissioner Randy Anderson?s budget for snow removal is over $700,000. He projects a surplus of over $200,000 in that non-lapsing fund, thanks to the lack of snow.
In 22 years, Anderson has only seen a start to winter like this a handful of times.
"We've had others like this, but in my 22 years, only a handful. I can count them on one hand, that's for sure," Anderson says. "This absolutely helps the bottom line."
Data from the National Weather Service in La Crosse shows snow depths in our listening area vary from no snow at all, to just a trace in northern Clark County. If you?re wondering, the forecast does include a chance of snow on Thursday, but no significant accumulation is expected.
Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.