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Officials with the Delaware Department of Transportation confirmed Dec. 29 that the agency likely spent $3.5 million digging the state out from nearly 2 feet of snow that fell the weekend before Christmas.
The estimate includes overtime for DelDOT plow drivers, dispatchers and support workers, as well as equipment and materials costs for things like fuel and road salt. Officials said the actual amount may differ slightly, but the estimate is reasonably firm.
The total spent exceeds the $3.2 million set aside for snow removal for the entire winter, but DelDOT repeatedly has said the state will not compromise on snow removal for the remainder of the season.
Jim Westhoff, DelDOT spokesman, said the agency will divert funds from other areas of its budget to cover the overruns, but officials have not yet discussed where cuts will be made.
“We probably won’t cut a service, most likely we will trim some things,” he said. “We’ll look at areas where we can trim funding here and there that will have the least amount of impact. Delaware residents expect a great deal from their tax dollars.”
The $3.5 million total also includes approximately $1 million in payments through the state’s Snow Removal Reimbursement Program, Westhoff added.
Under the program, registered homeowners’ associations in subdivisions and housing developments that hire independent firms to clear their streets can submit those bills to the state. The homeowners’ association is then reimbursed according to a formula that accounts for the amount of snow that fell in the area, the miles of road in the subdivision as well as the number of dead ends and culs-de-sac.
The calculation is meant to account for how much it would cost the state to plow a given subdivision.
Payments are equal to 75% of the formula amount, or 75% of actual costs, whichever is less.
Westhoff said even though many homeowners’ associations have yet to submit their bills, DelDOT can make a good guess at what will be paid out based on the formula.
“We have a fairly accurate estimate because we know how many subdivisions are in the program, we know how many miles of road each has and we also know at which rate they will be reimbursed,” he said. “Even though it might be a few months until we get the bills in, we have a pretty solid estimate.”
Brendan Buschi, treasurer of the Beaver Runne homeowners association in Magnolia, said his group hasn’t yet received a bill from the company it contracted to plow the 38-home development, but he doesn’t expect any problems with the reimbursement program.
Officials with the Delaware Department of Transportation confirmed Dec. 29 that the agency likely spent $3.5 million digging the state out from nearly 2 feet of snow that fell the weekend before Christmas.
The estimate includes overtime for DelDOT plow drivers, dispatchers and support workers, as well as equipment and materials costs for things like fuel and road salt. Officials said the actual amount may differ slightly, but the estimate is reasonably firm.
The total spent exceeds the $3.2 million set aside for snow removal for the entire winter, but DelDOT repeatedly has said the state will not compromise on snow removal for the remainder of the season.
Jim Westhoff, DelDOT spokesman, said the agency will divert funds from other areas of its budget to cover the overruns, but officials have not yet discussed where cuts will be made.
“We probably won’t cut a service, most likely we will trim some things,” he said. “We’ll look at areas where we can trim funding here and there that will have the least amount of impact. Delaware residents expect a great deal from their tax dollars.”
The $3.5 million total also includes approximately $1 million in payments through the state’s Snow Removal Reimbursement Program, Westhoff added.
Under the program, registered homeowners’ associations in subdivisions and housing developments that hire independent firms to clear their streets can submit those bills to the state. The homeowners’ association is then reimbursed according to a formula that accounts for the amount of snow that fell in the area, the miles of road in the subdivision as well as the number of dead ends and culs-de-sac.
The calculation is meant to account for how much it would cost the state to plow a given subdivision.
Payments are equal to 75% of the formula amount, or 75% of actual costs, whichever is less.
Westhoff said even though many homeowners’ associations have yet to submit their bills, DelDOT can make a good guess at what will be paid out based on the formula.
“We have a fairly accurate estimate because we know how many subdivisions are in the program, we know how many miles of road each has and we also know at which rate they will be reimbursed,” he said. “Even though it might be a few months until we get the bills in, we have a pretty solid estimate.”
Brendan Buschi, treasurer of the Beaver Runne homeowners association in Magnolia, said his group hasn’t yet received a bill from the company it contracted to plow the 38-home development, but he doesn’t expect any problems with the reimbursement program.
“That’s been very efficient,” he said. “The state has been excellent in terms of reimbursing and staying on top of that.”
Buschi said the state administers the program very effectively and does a good job of keeping homeowners’ associations apprised of changes and updates.
Last month, Buschi received a courtesy letter from DelDOT confirming Beaver Runne’s information in advance of the coming winter. Each fall, registered homeowners’ associations all receive a letter advising them of the reimbursement rates to be used for the year.
Westhoff said the program has been successful since it was created in 1996.
“It was born out of necessity years ago. Our people had a difficult time clearing the roads in subdivisions in New Castle County; roads are narrow, there’s on street parking, speed bumps and cul-de-sacs,” he said. “[The neighborhoods] can do a better job and it gets money into the community.”
City, county also tabulating costs
In the City of Dover, officials still are working on a final cost analysis from the storm.
City Manager Tony DePrima said he has requested a report from his staff for presentation at the Jan. 11 meeting of city council.
Deprima said he’s in no hurry to tabulate the city’s costs, since there’s no federal assistance available with a deadline attached to it.
“The single biggest expense is overtime for employees, particularly on the weekend,” he said. “We also would have salt expenses, some equipment and some meal allowances, because they were working [12-hour shifts] and our employee agreement says we pay for meals.”
Expenses for Kent County Levy Court will be minimal, approximately $500, said County Administrator Michael Petit de Mange.
County crews have just a few pieces of snow removal equipment and are only responsible for clearing parking lots at the Kent County Administrative Complex in Dover, the Wheatley’s Pond Office and Paramedic Substation in Smyrna and Brecknock Park in Camden.
The state takes care of the plowing the county’s Dover 911 dispatch center, since it’s housed in the same complex as other state buildings, and the county’s other paramedic station in Harrington is handled by the town’s fire department.
Petit de Mange said overtime costs won’t be too high, since some employees likely will trade the overtime for additional time off.
DelDOT total estimated expenditures for Dec. 19 snow storm:
$3.5 million
Estimated Snow Removal Reimbursement Program payments:
$1 million
Total budgeted for 2009-2010 snow removal expenses:
$3.2 million
Email Doug Denison at doug.denison@doverpost.com.
