Published Wednesday, February 19, 2003
Herald staff
Gerald "Bugs" Multari needs a shave.
But, until the snow lets up, Farrell's director of public works will remain estranged from his razor.
Multari hasn't been home much this week because he's been plowing streets, refilling the dump truck with salt and getting equipment repaired.
Multari and the rest of the street crew -- three full-timers and a part-timer -- were back at it Tuesday after working 16è hours straight Sunday into Monday.
"That overtime is only nice on pay day," he said.
This winter's snowy weather, which has become the rule instead of the exception in the Mercer County area, has not only tested the limits of street crews, but the budgets of the municipalities they work for.
"Both budgets are busted," Sharon Mayor David O. Ryan said of the city's salt and overtime budgets.
Sharon is already $140,000 over its road-salt budget, he said.
Over the weekend 300 tons of salt were used, and there is another 300 tons on hand, Ryan said Monday. He said he was expecting another shipment of 300 tons Tuesday. The city will probably need at least an additional 500 tons because "we still have November and December to go through this year," Ryan said.
"That's the price you pay if you want to keep your roads clean," Ryan said. "We have an obligation to keep these roads clear. It's a public safety issue."
Ryan added that Sharon's many hills have to be salted before the level streets. "You can't be every place at once," he said.
Sharpsville is over its $25,000 salt budget and its $20,000 overtime budget, said Borough Manager Mike Wilson. Final figures on just how much the borough is over were unavailable, but with the end of winter not in sight anytime soon, costs will probably only continue to climb.
Hermitage is actually in pretty good shape, said City Manager Gary Hinkson.
As of Thursday the city had spent only $93,000 of its $200,000 salt budget, Hinkson said. Last year the city spent $105,200 on salt, he said.
The city is getting close to its overtime budget for the street department, Hinkson said, noting so far $37,500 of the budgeted $45,000 has been spent.
Hermitage had 600 tons of salt on hand, another 200 tons were being shipped Monday and 500 more have been ordered, Hinkson said.
Hinkson said he expects everything to be OK as long as salt shipments continue to arrive on time.
In Greenville, the street department has a salt contract for 400 tons and can order an additional 80 tons if needed.
Street Department Director Paul Boyer said the borough has used about 300 tons of salt so far. The budget is $10,000, and Treasurer Tracey Vale said the borough spent about $6,190 so far.
"We're fine for now, but I don't know what will happen in November," she said.
Last year, Stoneboro used five loads -- about 120 tons -- of salt throughout the entire year, said Tara DiMaria, borough treasurer and secretary.
"I just put in an order for our 12th load," she said.
Stoneboro council budgets about $9,500 for snow removal each year. So far, Ms. DiMaria said, the borough has spent about $7,810. Through an agreement with its neighbor, Stoneboro sells supplies to Sandy Lake and bills in the spring for what was used.
"Last year, we billed them about $2,000, Ms. DiMaria said. "It will probably be more this year."
Farrell used 609 tons of salt last year, and has already doubled that this year, Multari said.
"This is the most salt I have ever had to go through," he said.
The city probably spent $32,000 for salt in January and February, which already exceeds the $27,500 spent in 2002, said City Manager LaVon Saternow.
The city has spent $16,307 on overtime, which is $3,307 more than it budgeted.
"Fortunately, it doesn't happen every year," she said of snowy winters. "We had a good year last year. That's just the way it goes in municipal budgeting."
Multari asked residents not to throw snow into the streets. He said that often means the plows have to make extra passes on streets that had been cleared.
Sharon Stinedurf, Wheatland's secretary, said the borough has already exceeded its $2,000 overtime budget.
"We have budgeted $2,000 before and not used it," she said. "We thought we were OK with that."