As storm looms, snow removal cash a hot commodity

SWAMPSCOTT – As the region braces for yet another winter storm, Swampscott Department of Public Works officials are hoping the white stuff doesn’t put the town in the red.Department of Public Works Director Gino Cresta said as of Jan. 7, the town has spent 70 percent of its annual snow and ice budget. He added the town has approximately 50 miles of streets that need to be plowed, salted and sanded every time there is a storm.”The last few years the snow and ice budget has been $75,000 a year and we always spend more than that,” Cresta said. “Last year we went over by $50,000. This year the budget was set at $125,000 so we’re not in the red yet. We’ve already spent about $88,000 though.”Town Administrator Andrew Maylor said the town spent $45,000 in a 24-hour period for snow removal during the storm that hit the region on Dec. 26 and Dec. 27.Cresta added during that storm, which dumped more than 14 inches on the region, he had 16 town-owned pieces of equipment on the streets around the clock and 23 pieces of contractor equipment.”It was a tough storm to stay on top of,” Cresta said.Cresta said if the storm predictions of six to 12 inches for Wednesday are correct, he expects it would cost $30,000 for snow removal operations.Despite the massive effort by the DPW, the town received complaints from businesses and residents alike over the snow removal effort.