Politics & Government
Snow Storms Putting Big Dent in City Overtime, Salt Budgets
The city has spent $414,000 in overtime in the first 23 days of this month to pay city snow plow drivers for holiday, night and weekend shifts.
The city of Joliet has paid more than $400,000 in overtime to Joliet public works employees who have plowed snow on holidays and weekends in the first 23 days of the year, officials said.
Over the same period of time, the city has used 11,400 tons of salt, which is close to the 12,000 tons Joliet would typically go through in a whole year, Public Works Director Jim Trizna said.
They're unavoidable costs, Trizna said, dictated by Mother Nature, not city hall.
"This year, we're going to use all of (the overtime) budgeted, and then some, I would guess," Trizna said. "You have no choice, you've got to (plow the streets)."
If the department exceeds its budget, the city will dip into its $30 million reserve fund to cover the cost overruns, City Manager Jim Hock said. That reserve is something of a "rainy day fund," existing to cover unexpected expenses.
Up until December 2013, the public works department had used only 50 percent of the overtime fund budgeted for the whole year, he said. But with a several snow falls in December, the department ended its fiscal year on Dec. 31 having used 85 percent of what was budgeted, he said.
January was even worse, starting with snowstorms that struck over the New Year's holiday and followed by several periods of snow on weekends and evenings, Trizna said.
As of Wednesday, the city had spent $414,000 in overtime for employees.
That number will only grow this weekend, with snow predicted to start Friday afternoon and expected to continue through Sunday, according to the latest National Weather Service forecast for Joliet. The chance of precipitation is 70 percent to 90 percent.
The city has also made quite a dent in its salt supply, which plow drivers use in addition to solutions of beet juice and other chemicals to melt ice and provide traction for drivers.
After several years of milder winters, the city had built up a stockpile of salt but now has only 5,000 tons remaining, Trizna said. The department will be able to purchase another 2,000 tons at about $50 a ton through the state of Illinois' buying program and received Joliet City Council permission this week to buy another 2,000 tons from an Elgin company at about $80 a ton.
Trizna said that should allow them to get through the remaining winter months. January and February are typically the worst, and while there will be snow in March, the angle of the sun and the higher temperatures make it melt more quickly and make it easier to plow, he said.
"We're trying to be as conservative as we can," Trizna said. "We're going to be OK for now, fingers crossed."
They're unavoidable costs, Trizna said, dictated by Mother Nature, not city hall.
"This year, we're going to use all of (the overtime) budgeted, and then some, I would guess," Trizna said. "You have no choice, you've got to (plow the streets)."
If the department exceeds its budget, the city will dip into its $30 million reserve fund to cover the cost overruns, City Manager Jim Hock said. That reserve is something of a "rainy day fund," existing to cover unexpected expenses.
Up until December 2013, the public works department had used only 50 percent of the overtime fund budgeted for the whole year, he said. But with a several snow falls in December, the department ended its fiscal year on Dec. 31 having used 85 percent of what was budgeted, he said.
January was even worse, starting with snowstorms that struck over the New Year's holiday and followed by several periods of snow on weekends and evenings, Trizna said.
As of Wednesday, the city had spent $414,000 in overtime for employees.
That number will only grow this weekend, with snow predicted to start Friday afternoon and expected to continue through Sunday, according to the latest National Weather Service forecast for Joliet. The chance of precipitation is 70 percent to 90 percent.
The city has also made quite a dent in its salt supply, which plow drivers use in addition to solutions of beet juice and other chemicals to melt ice and provide traction for drivers.
After several years of milder winters, the city had built up a stockpile of salt but now has only 5,000 tons remaining, Trizna said. The department will be able to purchase another 2,000 tons at about $50 a ton through the state of Illinois' buying program and received Joliet City Council permission this week to buy another 2,000 tons from an Elgin company at about $80 a ton.
Trizna said that should allow them to get through the remaining winter months. January and February are typically the worst, and while there will be snow in March, the angle of the sun and the higher temperatures make it melt more quickly and make it easier to plow, he said.
"We're trying to be as conservative as we can," Trizna said. "We're going to be OK for now, fingers crossed."
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