Winchester Public Works Department faces tight winter budget this year

WINSTED — With the winter weather now in full swing throughout the Northwest Corner, the season of sanding, salting and plowing has begun for the Public Works Department, but free salt and sand for town residents has been eliminated for the second year in a row.

Town officials note that Winsted is grappling with a serious financial crisis, requiring a spending freeze.

Still, the town’s snow-removal budget should be in good shape for the winter.

“Right now we’re holding our own,� Joseph Lemelin, the foreman of Winsted’s Street Department, told The Journal Monday.

The town’s overall snow budget — which funds sand, salt and overtime expenses — for the current fiscal year is $297,594, town Finance Director Henry Centrella said. Of that, $81,739 has been set aside for winter salt and sand used by the Public Works Department.

Prior to last year, residents were able to take away free buckets of sand to use on their driveways and sidewalks, but the budget shortfall has forced public works to suspend the program this season as a cost-saving measure.

Centrella said that, if the town experiences numerous heavy storms, the snow budget will likely be depleted — and may be overspent — before the spring, requiring Winsted to dip into town aid funds, which has occurred in the past.

Still, if this area experiences an average winter, Lemelin said, the town should be fine as far as expenses related to snow removal and treating Winsted’s roads during winter weather events.

So far, the area has experienced three minor snow storms, with two of those events over the last seven days.

Lemelin added that the impact is determined not just by how much and often the snow and ice falls — but when.

“Weekends and nights, that’s when we take a hit,� Lemelin said, referring to the department’s overtime budget. “But if it’s during the week, we’re all right because that’s the guys’ regular work schedule.�

The good news is that so far, there have been few winter weather events, and only one major
storm has dumped several inches of snow on the ground. This has helped to keep snow budget spending to a minimum.

During Saturday’s storm, about 2 inches of snow fell in downtown Winsted, although not much of it accumulated.

“It was too warm, so it didn’t stick,� Lemelin said.

In Winchester Center, however, 2 to 4 inches of snow fell that night. On Tuesday into Wednesday, more snow was added to that.

Lemelin said Winchester Center’s elevation is responsible for visible differences in weather conditions.

“You’re adding between 500 to 600 feet,� he said.

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