City, county workers putting in long hours as snowstorms stack up

[News1]

City, county workers putting in long hours as snowstorms stack up

http://www.heraldbulletin.com/crime/local_story_047221852.html

ANDERSON, Ind. — The budgetary effects of the past month's snowfall will be felt long after the snow has melted, area officials say.

"The ramifications are long term," Madison County Commissioner Paul Wilson said Tuesday as snow tapered off around the county.

After two weeks and three snowstorms, the county's highway department has been working 12-hour shifts with overtime pay to try and keep up with the weather, Wilson said.

Scott Harless of the Madison County Highway Department said plow drivers worked eight days in a row with 12-hour shifts round the clock, amounting to about 40 hours of overtime per worker during a recent storm.

Anderson Street Department Commissioner Todd Leever said the city still was in good shape for its Street Department overtime and salt budgets, despite three significant snows so far in February.

During a Feb. 5-6 snow event, the department used 317 overtime hours totaling $8,700 and 600 tons of salt at a cost of $42,390. When it snowed a few days later, employees worked 150 overtime hours totaling $4,000 and used another 600 tons of salt.

Monday's snowstorm used up 82 hours of overtime for a cost of $2,900 and 400 tons of salt totaling $28,000, Leever said. Since Monday was a holiday, it required the city to pay its workers double-time for their hours worked.

"We're still good in our overtime budget," Leever said. "Our guys are tired."

After citywide budget cuts, the Street Department is left with 13 workers taking care of about 400 miles of streets, Leever said.

Harless said the overtime situation wasn't helped when he was finally able to send his plow and salt drivers home on Friday at 8 p.m. but called them back to work on Monday as snow fell again, causing the county to give the workers holiday pay.

The overtime is unavoidable, Wilson explained. "It's a public safety issue."

The county was forced to keep plow drivers on 12-hour shifts again Tuesday as blowing snow coated roadways.

Harless said he purchased 700 tons of salt at the start of the season and the barn is still half-full, making him optimistic that the county will have enough to get through the remainder of winter.

Leever said he expects the city's salt supply to hold out until spring. At the beginning of winter, the city had 3,500 tons of salt on order and still has 900 tons left to use. If necessary, it can order another 800 tons, but that would require additional monetary appropriations, Leever said.

A salt-brine solution that is new to the city's snow-fighting arsenal has more than paid for itself this season, Leever said, and the city got a good deal on salt by getting in on the state's bid price.

Plowing what may be a record-breaking winter will eventually lead to a bumpy ride, Wilson said. "The more plowing that's done, the more destruction to the road surface."

The increase in overtime pay over the winter season could mean a shortage of road repair funds when it's time to fix potholes, Wilson explained.

Leever said he hoped motorists would be more considerate of plow truck drivers.

"If you call in a bad street, we'll get out there as soon as we can," he said.

[Palehorse]

And with at least two more storms staging to take a swipe at us, this whole thing is only going to grow. . .