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Due to the heavy snowfall this winter, a number of local highway departments have struggled to reign in expenditures and stretch their budgets to finish out the season.

As winter drags on fitfully into March - kicking and screaming with intermittent snowstorms between bouts of uncharacteristically mild weather - budget lines for fuel and salt have become cause for concern for some. However, with spring in sight, plows from various highway departments throughout the region remain out and about, working to keep county roadways clear and safe for travel.

"We've used a lot of salt, a lot of sand, and diesel fuel," Hanover Highway Superintendent Steve D'Angelo said Friday. "It's been a little bit heavier of a winter than what we're used to."

So far this season, D'Angelo said, the town highway department has gone through around 1,500 tons of salt and 4,500 tons of sand. However, he said the drop in the price of fuel from earlier in the season helped alleviate some of the strain on the department's budget.

Still, he indicated expenditures are running higher than what's typical for this time of year, though nothing too detrimental. D'Angelo said he is confident the highway department will make it through the remaining days of winter without going over budget.

"We're probably running above average right now," he explained, "but we're still doing okay."

Of course, the highway department will be faced with additional, though necessary, expenditures for road remediation following the frost. D'Angelo said he doesn't anticipate serious damage to the roadways, though he said he would have a better idea in the coming weeks.

In Fredonia, fuel expenditures are under budget considerably due to the drop in costs since March 2008 when the village budget was adopted, according to Village Administrator Richard St. George. However, he said the village will ultimately exceed its normal amount of consumption due to the bad winter and the number of times plows have had to take to the roads.

"Between diesel and unleaded we're running about $28,000 favorable, that's strictly on price," St. George explained. "We're probably using more fuel than we normally would at this point in time, but I don't know how the gallons flush out of that, so we're probably going to be running negative on consumption."

As far as salt usage, St. George said the village - as of January 2009 - has maxed-out its budgeted amount of $64,000.

"We're right at 100 percent of our budget number now for salt, through January, so any salt we purchase here on out is going to run us into negative territory," he said. "We use the state's storage area for salt and we replenish as the pile goes down. When they tell us it's time for us to replenish we replenish what we've used."

While Pomfret Highway Superintendent Jim Oakes was confident the town would ultimately come in under budget on salt and fuel, he said the area of most concern is the amount of overtime booked this winter.

The town has been able to manage its salt usage fairly well, he explained, and is yet to reach the minimum required to purchase.

"We're holding good and still under (our) allotment," Oakes said. "If I need more the budget can handle it as long as I don't go over my allotment, because of the increase in the costs and not in the budget."

In addition, the town is two months into its 2009 budget and, as of the end of January, has used $6,000 of the $30,000 budgeted for fuel.

Oakes said the payroll budget is of most concern since a significant amount of overtime was incurred as a result of heavy snowfall this year and the need to keep the roads clear.

However, not all municipalities are feeling the wintertime pinch equally. According to Sheridan Highway Superintendent Jeffrey Feinen, the town highway department - which spent a total of 498 hours plowing in January alone, plowing 25 out of 31 days - is about on par with past years.

"We actually changed some things up this year," Feinen explained. "We went to shifts and so the overtime, even with the bad winter, is probably where we normally are."

In addition, he said the department is doing good on both salt and fuel this year, primarily due to the fact that winter expenses are split between the 2008 and 2009 budgets, and expects to make it through the season in good shape.

"It has been a rough winter but we're holding up good," Feinen summed up.

Similarly, both Portland Highway Superintendent Chuck Kelley and Brocton Public Works Superintendent Tom Allen said their supplies of salt and sand, as well as their fuel budgets, are holding up despite the seemingly never-ending snow.

"We're better off right now than we were a year ago," Kelley said regarding the town's snow removal expenses.

In addition, despite the rough winter, Allen said the village's roads are holding up as well aside from minor wear and tear.

"We've got one pot hole so far and I plan to take care of it next week, if it stops snowing," he said.

However, according to Arkwright Highway Superintendent Steve Mead, town roadways in Arkwright weren't so lucky. Although it's too early to tell when repairs will begin, he said he expects the frost heave to have caused extensive and expensive damage this year.

Still, the town highway department was able to stay within budget even with the severe winter.

"So far, we're doing okay with our salt, sand and fuel supplies and our payroll expenses," he said.

On the other hand, Cassadaga Public Works Superintendent Tom Fetter said he had to purchase 60 more tons of sand to get through the winter.

"This year's fuel bill is pretty close to last year's," he added.

Despite the drop in the fuel price, the reason for this may be the amount of snow which fell last year, compared to this year. Like the others, Fetter has spent hours in the plow truck, racking up miles on the local roads keeping them free of snow.

City of Dunkirk Streets Supervisor Mike Porpiglia has seven years in the position and knows the challenges of winter and the toll it takes.

"Wear is a big part, especially the plows. We've gone through our fair share of plow blades and it's the age of the equipment," Porpiglia said. "Winter came quick and hard. The temperatures have been real low and running big equipment in extreme cold takes a toll. We've been running two shifts: midnight and days. It helps out a lot. We have had some big-ticket items as far as repairs, but we have three great mechanics."

Although the city went over budget for salt in 2008, Porpiglia said it was too soon to compare this year's use to the same period in 2008.

"It's hard to tell. ... The severe weather came in two-three day runs, it wasn't a constant fall of snow," he said. "Right now we're in the middle of an El Nino and a La Nino, a pattern historically that has some of the most severe winters. Fortunately, a lot of it has gone north of us. That's helped out a lot.

"The roads have taken a beating; it's going to be a tough year for asphalt and repairs. The freezing and thawing is pushing and pulling. I'm foreseeing major road repairs."

Water line breaks cause major problems for the integrity of the roads, according to Porpiglia, and it's been a tough winter as well for the men keeping the roads open.

"We have fewer guys working longer hours," he said. "We're using every human resource to plow and we're using every piece of equipment."

However, other things pop up to get in the way of plowing, such as repairing traffic signs.

"Some things we can put on the backburner, others we can't. Liability issues decide," Porpiglia said.

One seasonal worker with a CDL license has helped out the 17-member DPW crew that Porpiglia had plenty of praise for.

As for the car-damaging potholes that plague every place with this type of weather, Porpiglia said they can be filled with cold patch, but that is a temporary solution.

"It will be intereseting to see when the (asphalt) plants open, a lot of the aggregate suppliers have laid off people because of high costs relative to making asphalt products," Porpiglia said. "It will be interesting to see what time of year they open up. ... There may be a lot of plants that don't open up unless there is followup on the stimulus plan."

OBSERVER staff writers Michael Rukavina and Joan Josephson, as well as city editor Gib Snyder contributed to this story. Comments can be sent to editorial@observertoday.com.