What’s already been called the warmest winter on record has resulted in a surplus of $400,000 in the town’s winter road care budget, according to First Selectman Rudy Marconi.
Money, mostly from the state but including town funds, had been set aside to buy salt, pay overtime to snow fighting crews and hire outside contractors to make it through the winter, which some almanacs predicted would be serious. But there were only a couple of major snowstorms.
Now the money will go toward the town’s paving schedule, Marconi said.
“About $400,000 not used for winter supplies will be dedicated to our paving schedule,” Marconi said, and that means less money from the taxpayers for that work.
It will go toward paving roads that need it.
As for leftover salt, “we have quite a pile in the barn we haven’t had to use,” Marconi said.
The town gave up using sand years ago because of its negative impact on the environment, such as building the silt level up in local streams and rivers.
The salt is considered to have less of an environmental impact, although it is corrosive to metal automobile parts.
It is recommended that the undersides of cars, not just the tops, be washed in the winter.
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