Snow Removal Costs Blast Past $1 Million

At the beginning of the winter, Braintree went into the season with a $400,000 snow removal budget, the biggest in town history. By early February, Mayor Joseph Sullivan said he expected the costs of snow removal to rise to at least $1 million. A few weeks and snowstorms later, Sullivan admitted his previous estimate was a bit low.

On Tuesday, Sullivan told the Braintree Town Council he expects the town to spend between $1.5-1.6 million on snow and ice removal.

Sullivan is hopeful that the town will get at least a portion of a reimbursement request totaling $300,000 in the near future from FEMA, stating the minimum reimbursement is 75 percent.

Winter has been all but kind to Braintree and the rest of Massachusetts. Despite obtaining 70-100 pieces of snow removal equipment and working around the clock, roads and sidewalks around town remain messy and dangerous as cleanup crews attempt to deal with a near record-breaking winter.

“I know some people have been disappointed and frustrated with some of the work we’ve done. I acknowledge we’ve missed a few streets but the work of the DPW has been a tireless effort. This has just been a continuous week after week activity that we’ve dealt with over the past month,” Sullivan said.

Last week, one resident complained that crews were dumping snow on her property. Sullivan did apologize to the resident and told WHDH that those contractors no longer work for the town.