Snow Woes: Wrentham's Storm Budget Reaches $200K

The Wrentham selectmen talked with public works superintendent Michael Lavin regarding the snow and ice budget Tuesday before Thursday's storm.

“We’ve had 20 events,” said selectmen chair Joseph Botaish Tuesday. “Sanding events are constantly happening. It may be for a couple of hours or four hours, but it’s still an event that incurs a cost.”

Lavin said, as of March 5, the snow and ice budget is running at about $200,000, mostly because of the Feb. 8 storm.

“I couldn’t be prouder than to be a member of the DPW team,” Lavin said, regarding the February blizzard. “We had contractors that left in the middle of the storm because they couldn’t handle it. DPW staff didn’t stop for 26 hours. It showed their fortitude.”

Selectmen agreed Wrentham was cleared well during the storm as compared to other towns.

“When the driving ban was lifted the town was ready,” Botaish said.

“Many communities around us did not enjoy the benefit of such a great DPW,” Lavin said.

Lavin said the Wrentham DPW is switching from sand to a liquid deicer, as sand grains erode and loose their edges. This makes the grains spherical and they loose their traction value. Lavin said that the liquid deicer works as well as sand and will aid salt in melting the roads when it’s too cold for salt to melt the ice.

Lavin said the Wrentham DPW has also purchased about $30,000 in road salt, but this is part of a yearly purchase intended for next year’s winter.