Towns like Old Saybrook and East Lyme haven't seen two feet of snow in nearly three decades. Even after this weekend's blast of winter weather, town snow budgets are holding up well -- at least for now.
In East Haddam, first selectman Mark Walter said his town has spent 31 percent of its $220,000 budget. That figure also includes salt and sand that was purchased before the winter started and should last for many more snowstorms. This past weekend's storm ate up about $15,000 in labor costs.
For towns like East Haddam, the timing of storms is more important than the actual size of the storm itself. A storm that happens during a weekend or holiday means paying overtime to public works crews, while a storm that happens during the week doesn't. Walter also said, "the ice storms are what cost you a lot of money because you have to keep putting down salt."
Along the shoreline in East Lyme, first selectman Paul Formica said the town has used up about a third of its overtime budget during the weekend storm. He says the town's budget is good for now but the timing of storms for the rest of the winter will determine how the town does.
Walter is optimistic that East Haddam will come in near budget, but cautioned, "if the storms all hit on Sundays and Saturdays like they did last year, we were $120,000 over budget, because it's time and one half or double time."
