advertisement

How warm winter saved towns cold, hard cash

Despite its last-gasp spit of snow on Thursday, a mild El Nino winter largely played nice with public works budgets across the 'burbs.

Less-than-normal snowfall meant most towns saved money that might otherwise have gone to hire extra plow crews or pay overtime costs. There also was less demand for salt and fuel, area public works directors say, and the winter's relatively mild temperatures resulted in fewer water main breaks and potholes.

All that added up to significant cash savings for many towns, including a whopping $700,000 in Naperville alone.

Now officials say they are putting those savings - both in money and in staff time - into spring projects to maintain roads and infrastructure.

"The Gurnee Public Works Department was able to take advantage of the mild weather and focus efforts on projects such as tree trimming and removal, blacktop patching, traffic control sign inspection, upgrades and installation, street lighting upgrades and other small projects," Director Thomas Rigwood said.

While some factors complicate the savings - higher labor costs in one town, a locked-in contract to buy a set amount of salt in another - most communities are seeing a similar benefit.

"Although there is no savings per se on salt purchase this year," said Mundelein Village Administrator John Lobaito, whose town had to buy a set amount even though it wasn't all needed, "it will save us money eventually."

No snow

The winter season got off to a rocky start with a storm that dumped about 11 inches of snow in mid-November. But things quickly settled down after that.

In Gurnee, for instance, a total of 31 inches fell for the entire season, compared with 41 last year. Naperville received just 26 inches, when 35 to 40 inches is normal.

In Gurnee, that meant the city used 132 fewer tons of salt and has plenty on hand to begin next year with a full dome, officials said. Des Plaines also will be stockpiling much of the 4,000 tons it was required to buy per contract this year, along with $70,000 in savings.

In Naperville, less snow meant a savings of $700,000 combined on salt, contract plowing services and overtime for in-house plow drivers, Deputy Public Works Director John Rutkowski said. Now that money can remain in the city's general fund to be put toward other projects.

"We didn't have to spend it on snow," Rutkowski said, "so it's a savings to the city."

Officials in Carol Stream say they saved a combined $183,790 on overtime, salt and contractors for the winter season. The village already is moving to restock its salt dome for next year, taking advantage of a price locked in at last year's rates to buy 335 tons for $23,597 from Morton Salt. The price is nearly $5 a ton less than budgeted.

Glen Ellyn also has seen its share of savings - $88,500 - on winter operations, and officials said the environment benefits, too. Less salt is better for waterways and the need to spread it less often reduces fuel consumption, they said.

In Geneva, fewer snow events meant fewer chances to shine for some plows decorated by high school students last fall in an art project. Students in a graphic arts class at Geneva High School decorated the blades of five plows and turned them into an undersea scene, a giant mouth and a Geneva High Viking, among other images.

But city spokesman Kevin Stahr said the mild winter meant public works crews spent less time using the decorated plows and more time trimming parkway trees. The city also spent $70,018 less than budgeted on salt and overtime, although it did shell out all of the planned $20,000 for plowing contractors.

Snow-related savings in Mundelein came on labor costs, which came in about $50,000 less than anticipated, Public Works Director Adam Boeche said. But in Gurnee, the opposite was true, as changes in employee benefits meant labor costs were on the rise.

Now the same crews that got a break from plowing snow are maintaining sewers, cleaning catch basins, replacing street signs and designing road projects so they can be sent out to bid earlier.

"All those things have started much sooner than typical," Naperville's Rutkowski said. "Usually at this time we're still dealing with some snow on the ground and right now we don't have that."

• Daily Herald staff writers Bob Susnjara, Susan Sarkauskas, Katlyn Smith, Christopher Placek and Russell Lissau contributed to this report.

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.