Melrose Nearing $525k Budget for Snow Removal

MELROSE, MA—The funds Melrose originally appropriated for snow and ice removal may be running dry.

According to a report by Wicked Local Melrose, the city has almost reached the $525,000 budget for snow removal in fiscal year 2016. The city has seen two snow storms in as many weeks which dumped about a foot of snow on the region.

Reports Aaron Leibowitz, who broke the story on Wicked Local Melrose’s website:

According to a National Grid representative, as many as 170 Melrose customers experienced power outages Friday, peaking around 6 p.m. That number was down to 114 outages by 7 p.m.; 33 by 10 p.m.; and four by 7 a.m. Saturday.

The DPW had all of the city’s approximately 80 snowplows in operation during parts of both Friday’s and Monday’s storm. Monday brought far fewer downed limbs, but the process dragged on from early in the morning until the evening.

“That was the greatest challenge ... this was more of an operation in attrition and patience,” Scenna said.

While the city has not seen abnormal accumulation this winter, the DPW has already responded to about a dozen snow and ice “events,” Scenna said.

As a result, the city has just about reached the $525,000 it originally appropriated for snow and ice removal for Fiscal Year 2016.

“We’re quickly approaching that figure,” Scenna said, “if we’re not there already.”

Last year was an outlier because of the sheer volume of snow — around $900,000 was budgeted and almost $2.4 million was spent — but Scenna said this year has not been atypical for snow and ice spending.

“We’re right at our average in terms of operations and expenses of how we’ve been in years’ past,” Scenna said.

Patch attempted to contact Director Scenna for comments, but he was not immediately available. Check back with Patch for updates, and view Leibowitz’s full report here.