Town Board: Snow budget running low

As of Friday, January 28, the Town of Shelter Island had only $2,700 left of $33,000 budgeted to pay highway crews to remove snow. Town Supervisor Jim Dougherty delivered this news at the end of Tuesday’s Town Board work session.

“Those figures are a little obsolete,” Mr. Dougherty added, as Highway Department road crews have been out several times since that last January 28 paycheck was issued.

“We are looking for a February thaw,” he commented.

“We still have six to eight weeks [of winter] to go,” Highway Superintendent Mark Ketcham said. Councilman Ed Brown reminded his colleagues that the $33,000 snow fund was projected to cover winter storm costs anticipated for December 2011 as well.

On a brighter note, Mr. Dougherty said that stockpiles of materials to treat roads — sand and salt — have helped to keep the supply in line with the budget. The Town Board approved $13,000 in the 2011 budget for those materials, and the town had spent less than half, only $5,800, by the end of January.

Councilman Glenn Waddington commented that the timing of the storms, “rolling in after midnight,” was unfortunate and “kicked up the overtime.” He added, “The Island owes the highway and mechanics an ‘attaboy’ — the roads have been in great shape.”