Snow squeezes budgets

With the Five Towns area getting socked with over a foot of snow for the second time this winter last week, and a little more snow on Tuesday, some local villages are getting close to going over their annual budgets earmarked to combat snowy conditions.

Local villages used multiple plows and sanders as well as significant manpower in response to the Feb. 10 blizzard that forced both the Lawrence and Hewlett-Woodmere school districts, as well as many Five Towns private schools, to close for two days. With the numerous overtime hours that village workers needed to be paid for the most recent storm, as well as the Dec. 19 blizzard, local governments may need to utilize their reserve funds should another major storm strike.

"From a budget perspective we are at our limit," said Lawrence village administrator David Smollett. "The budget however never compromises our number one goal of clearing the snow."

The Village of Lawrence utilized six sanders and 10 plows during the Feb. 10 storm and also issued a snow emergency on its Web site and through a reverse 911 call to residents to inform them to take cars off the streets. Smollett said his crews got out well ahead of the storm and made it so there were few problems once the snow stopped.

"My guys did a phenomenal job," said Smollett. "I would stack them up against any highway department in Nassau County."

The Village of Cedarhurst budgeted $50,000 for snow removal and used $20,000 during the December storm and even more for the latest near-blizzard, according to Mayor Andrew Parise. The village sent workers out for 12 hours the day of the storm and 14 hours the next day, using 10 plows and three sanders.

While Cedarhurst has been forced to use nearly all of its snow budget, Parise said it has been worth it because safety is the priority during a major storm. "Whatever it takes that is what you have to use," said Parise.

Atlantic Beach is also close to going over its snow budget after using three plows and sanders for last week's storm. Atlantic Beach Mayor Stephen Mahler said that the money spent to create drivable roads for residents was well worth it and the village will be able to tap into a contingency fund should another blizzard or nor'easter strike this season. "I think we weathered the storm pretty well," said Mahler.

Last week’s storm was the first time that Hewlett Harbor Mayor Mark Weiss implemented a new program the village instituted three years ago that employs crews from the Seawane Club to assist with snow cleanup. Weiss said the new program “went incredibly well.”

Nassau County Department of Public Works crews assisted in clearing snow from county roads in the Five Towns, including Peninsula Boulevard, Broadway, Rockaway Turnpike and Park Street in Atlantic Beach. Town of Hempstead crews worked to clear side streets in the unincorporated areas of Inwood, North Lawrence, Woodmere, North Woodmere, Hewlett and Atlantic Beach Estates. Woodmere ended up being one of the hardest hit communities in terms of snowfall, with an estimated 16.5 inches.