How Much Did Newton Spend on Snow Removal This Winter?

With temperatures forecasted to be in the 50s this weekend, it seems as though the city is out of the woods when it comes to snow/ice removal for this fiscal year -- knock on wood.

So, how much did the city spend for the winter of 2012-2013?

According to Chief Operating Officer Bob Rooney, Newton spent $3.975 million on snow and ice removal this winter. 

Roughly 46 percent of that amount was spent on contractors hired to help clear streets and sidewalks in the city, Rooney said.

While the city owns around 75 trucks and plows, contractors are needed to help supplement the city crews' work. Each storm, the snow removal crews in Newton are split almost 50/50 between contractors and the city's own, in-house workers, Rooney said. 

Another large chunk of this winter's spending -- roughly 25 percent -- went to overtime payments for the city's in-house crews. With several of this year's storms falling on weekends, overtime costs for the city's wokers added up quickly, Rooney said.

The remainder of the snow/ice costs covered materials such as sand and salt as well as vehicle repairs, gas for equipment and fees for a weather service the city uses to forecast storms.

Overall, Rooney said the city received 73.8 inches of snow this winter.

With this winter's total cost coming in just under $4 million, Rooney said the city is well within the $5 million it has set aside in the snow/ice reserve account -- barring any springtime snowstorms, of course.

On average, Rooney said the city spends between $3-5 million on snow/ice removal every winter, with a five-year average around $3.8 million. However, with the variable winter weather in recent years, Rooney noted that it's often difficult to come up with an "average" spending amount.