Heavy snowfall in 2016 and early 2017 has put the city's winter maintenance budget $2.9 million in the red, the city's operations committee will hear next week.
The annual budget to plow roads and sidewalks, as well as salt and maintain the roads, is $4.28 million, and is adjusted according to the average actual cost of previous winter seasons.
A reserve fund is used to make up shortfalls in snowy years, which is replenished when warmer winters lead to budget surpluses.
“The city received approximately 425 centimetres or 166 per cent of the average annual snowfall in 2016,” says a staff report on the winter control budget. “From January to April, approximately 203 per cent of the annual average snowfall was received. November and December reached 61 per cent and 166 per cent, respectively, of the average annual snowfall.
“The above-average snowfall throughout the year contributed to the over expenditure of approximately $2.3 million in winter control activities. The largest contributors were sanding/salting/plowing ($1.4 million) and snow removal ($0.5 million).”
Heavier than normal snow in January and February of 2017, combined with freezing rain, created a $680,000 shortfall so far for this year, although that amount could still be made up depending on what the weather is like next winter.
The operations committee will review the report April 3.
