This winter has hit Cape Elizabeth’s budget hard, to the tune of $74,000, but federal emergency funds will help fill the hole.
At a Town Council meeting Monday, Town Manager Michael McGovern said several areas within the public works budget have already been overspent this season. The largest expense is salt, which is $43,000 over budget, a combination of increased need and because it was originally budgeted at $33 a ton, but now costs $43 per ton.
Other areas over budget include diesel fuel by $11,000, overtime by $8,000, vehicle maintenance by $6,000, gasoline by $5,000, and the part-time payroll by over $1,000.
“There is no way, with the way budgets have been squeezed year after year, that we can make up this amount,” McGovern told the council. However, on Monday evening President George Bush labeled two of the storms in Cumberland County disasters, which gives Cape Elizabeth access to $30,000 in federal money to make up the extra costs.
McGovern also told the council that other revenues were down as people were staying home; except for pool revenues, which are going up as people are escaping to the heated pool during the cold winter.
Cape Elizabeth Director of Public Works Bob Malley said an average winter might have 12 to 15 “plowable events.” This winter has already seen 21 plowable events and Malley thinks there will be one more plowable storm. “That’s what my gut tells me,” he said.
Malley has been public works director in town for 19 years and the only comparable experience he has seen was the winter of 1995-96, when Cape received 123 inches of snow. This winter Cape has received 103 inches.
A physical toll the winter has taken is also apparent. The public works employees are tired and illnesses have increased, according to Malley.
“They’re tired,” said Malley. Last weekend, “there were some guys who were very sick but still came to work. … They did a stellar job.”
Malley and his 15 full-time employees had their first plowable storm on Dec. 7.
“We’ve received a lot of compliments on the road conditions,” said Malley, but, “everybody’s ready for spring.”
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