Burlington Select Board Boosts Snow Budget, Expands DPW Construction Dates

The Burlington Select Board has approved an increase to the town's snow and ice budget and adopted new Department of Public Works rules that allow for extended construction seasons and overnight work on major roads.

With two major winter storms fresh in everyone's mind, Department of Public Works Director Brian White appeared before the Select Board to request additional funds to support the town's snow and ice removal operations. This is a "quirky" annual request, said Town Administrator John Danizio, based on the way state law is written.

"Mass General Law allows you to spend beyond your appropriation in snow and ice and then raise it on the following year's tax bill, provided that the Select Board approve the authorization to go beyond that spending limit," said Danizio.

Each year the town budgets a constant amount for snow and ice removal and assumes a $500,000 deficit, said Danizio. "The way this law is written," he said, "if you increase your appropriation, you can't decrease it." In recent years, the department has used only a portion of that anticipated deficit – $400,000 last year, $90,000 two seasons ago, and $200,000 the year before that, Danizio said.

But after the two recent storms, in addition to some water main breaks that have required the use of some of the same equipment, White's request for additional funding started at $700,000.

Keeping the same deficit would leave only around $100,000 for the rest of the season, said White, which encompasses up to two months of potential snow and ice events. Select Board member Sarah Cawley, raised the amount to $800,000 in the hopes of saving White from having to appear before the Board regarding this matter again.

Important note: Though this amount was approved unanimously by the Board, the funds don't move unless they're spent.

Board members praised the work of the DPW crews, a sentiment which White echoed.

"That [first] storm, they didn't go home for 48 hours," White said of crews working through the recent 18-inch snowfall. "The water and sewer division helped plow for the first 24 hours. And then as they're wrapping up, they get the call that there's a water break. So after 24 hours of plowing, now they're out in the cold wet snow fixing a water break."

White also noted that the new DPW facility on Great Meadow Rd., which features a large garage in which to store the snow removal equipment, has been helpful in maintaining efficiency and crew comfort even during big storms.

In a separate action, the board approved changes to DPW rules and regulations that would shorten the winter construction moratorium and allow overnight work on Burlington Mall Road and Middlesex Turnpike.

The new rules permit construction work until December 15 and allow it to resume March 1, rather than the previous November 15 to April 1 moratorium. The changes require only DPW and engineering approval during the extended periods, eliminating the need for Select Board review except during the core winter months.

"We would add conditions onto the permit that if the weather forecast shows a storm coming, they need to be off the road and have 24-hour notice to clean up." White said, adding that for one job the contractors had to pave the work at the end of each day so the DPW didn't have to deal with gravel and dirt if they needed to plow.

The overnight work provision for Mall Road and Middlesex Turnpike addresses concerns about holiday traffic and high-volume commercial areas. White said most work on those roads has historically required Select Board approval for non-standard hours.

The board approved these regulatory changes unanimously as well; this autonomy will likely be utilized soon when the MWRA connection project resumes on Middlesex Turnpike beginning at Wheeler/Blanchard Rd. this spring.