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WESTBOROUGH, Mass. — The snow and ice budget was pushed into the red by last weekend's blizzard, and Westborough's selectmen have approved an additional $150,000 to replenish it.
"As you're aware, we had a snowstorm last weekend," DPW Director John Walden said Tuesday before asking the Board of Selectmen to grant additional funds.
"Right now we're in a deficit. The good news is the bleeding has stopped," Walden said.
The budget for snow and ice removal was set at $449,211 for the year, accounting for 13 percent of the public works budget.
Out of the additional request, $100,000 is intended to restock supplies used during the storm and to repair equipment. The remainder is for wages, including overtime.
Walden said several workers were on duty 32 hours straight to "keep the town in shape."
He said overtime has stopped, all road maintenance can now be done during business hours and that residents were very cooperative throughout the storm.
"It was really good not having traffic in the way," he said.
Police Chief Alan Gordon applauded the work done by the DPW, noting the quality of the plowing, despite one incident of a plow backing into a police cruiser.
"The DPW once again did a tremendous job," he said. "You don't even need a map to tell where the town line is. Our roads were unbelievable."
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