Marblehead declares snow emergency for upcoming week

MARBLEHEAD – With the Boston area facing the possibility of a record snowfall this winter, the town is working hard to keep pace.Since Dec. 1, Logan International Airport has recorded just under 45 inches of snow, including 19 inches so far this month.The snow is piling up. So are the bills.Heavy snowfalls traditionally leave streets all but impassable. At a special Thursday afternoon meeting attended by Selectmen Chairman Jackie Belf-Becker and Selectmen James Nye, Harry Christensen and Judy Jacobi, the selectmen voted to declare a snow emergency in town for the next eight days – from Jan. 22-30.The vote allows public works crews to remove the snow from the town’s narrowest streets and deposit it in the ocean."This lets us remove snow from certain areas," Town Administrator Tony Sasso told the board members.For budget purposes, public works directors like Dana Snow are aware that even when there isn’t enough snow to plow, the streets still require sanding and salting to counter the effects of light snow or sleet.Three years ago the town spent its snow removal budget – $100,000 – by early February. Since then it’s been gone by New Year’s.A week ago selectmen voted to authorize an additional $100,000 in spending on snow removal. Thursday, faced with the harsh reality of a near-record winter, they increased the overage from $100,000 to $220,000."Everyone around us is suffering the same way," Sasso said.The vote was unanimous.