Greenwich Budget Committee approves $1.325 million for snow removal
Other Committee · Meeting of March 10, 2026
Greenwich Budget Committee approves $1.325 million for winter snow removal. The panel voted 4-0 to fund overtime and materials after roughly 65 inches of snow fell, more than double the town's 30-inch average. DPW Commissioner Jim Michael broke down the request: $450,000 for highway overtime, $525,000 for salt and materials, $160,000 for Board of Education snow-clearing overtime, $35,000 for Fleet Department overtime and $25,000 for rented equipment, plus $130,000 from the parking fund for outside contractors.
Asked whether overtime work is mandatory, Michael said "it's highly recommended." Committee member Fenton pressed on whether the parking fund should absorb more of the cost, calling it "worthy of discussion," and the committee sent the question to finance staff Agnes and Joan ahead of the full board's March 23 meeting. The committee also approved six sets of minutes, 4-0.
In the full story:
- The complete report — 1,001 words
Source: the Other Committee meeting of March 10, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
The Full Article
GREENWICH — March 10, 2026 — The Greenwich Board of Estimate and Taxation's Budget Committee voted 4-0 Tuesday to approve a $1.325 million supplemental appropriation to cover snow and ice removal costs after a winter that brought roughly 65 inches of snow to town, more than double the usual 30-inch average.
The appropriation splits $1,195,000 from the general fund and $130,000 from the town's parking fund. Department of Public Works Commissioner Jim Michael told the committee that overtime costs ran high in part because snowstorms repeatedly hit on Sundays and holidays this winter, when crews are paid premium overtime rates.
The Full Story
The committee heard from four town officials on the request, budget item PW4 combined with parking item PS1: DPW Commissioner Jim Michael, Jay Demerski of the Fleet Department, Deputy Chief James Boney of the Department of Parking Services, and Bill McCormick of DPW. Michael said the town budgets for about 30 inches of snow annually but has already logged around 65 inches this season, with a January deep freeze that kept snow on the ground longer than usual and forced overnight removal operations in parking lots and along roadways.
The general fund portion breaks into five pieces: $450,000 for DPW highway overtime, rounded down from a calculated need of $456,858; $160,000 for Board of Education and Parks and Recreation overtime tied to clearing snow at school properties, rounded down from roughly $162,896; $25,000 for rental of extra equipment used during overnight operations; $525,000 for highway materials, primarily salt, rounded down from $532,720; and $35,000 for Fleet Department overtime to keep heavy equipment operable during storms. The $130,000 parking fund portion covers equipment rental, including operators, for outside contractors who clear town-owned parking lots.
Michael said the appropriation also anticipates refilling the town's salt sheds before a July 1 contract price increase takes effect, locking in this year's pricing even if deliveries arrive in the fall. He cautioned that rising oil prices could push up asphalt paving costs this summer, potentially reducing the number of miles the town can repave for the same budget, though he said this winter's freeze-thaw pattern has so far spared roads the worst pothole damage.
A significant portion of the meeting focused on whether the parking fund should absorb a larger share of the costs, since highway crews spend time salting and clearing parking lots as part of their overtime work. Michael estimated that about $90,000 of the requested highway overtime and between $80,000 and $130,000 of salt costs, roughly 15 percent of the town's total salt usage, go toward parking areas. Committee member Fenton said the source-of-funds question deserved more scrutiny before any change in practice, and the committee agreed to send the issue back to town finance staff, identified in the discussion as Agnes and Joan, for further review ahead of the full BET's March 23 meeting. Another committee member cautioned against depleting the parking fund given upcoming capital expenses.
The committee also took up a first read, with no vote required, of proposed revisions to the BET Reference Book's sections governing the Budget Committee's meeting schedule and the broader town budget process. The presenting committee member, who also chairs the Policies and Procedures Committee, said the goal is to strip out references to bodies that no longer exist, such as the former Capital Improvement Program Committee, and to clarify definitions distinguishing the first selectman's proposed budget from the committee's "recommended budget" and the RTM's "final budget." Members noted the committee is meeting two weeks before the regular BET session this cycle rather than the usual one week, attributed to the private-school spring break calendar, and flagged a mismatch between the October budget-guideline vote and the Board of Education's typical November budget presentation. The presenting member said the goal is to collate all reference-book changes for a full BET first read by May and a vote in June.
The committee also approved, 4-0, six sets of meeting minutes covering sessions held Feb. 17, Feb. 18, Feb. 19, Feb. 24, Feb. 26 and March 3, 2026, the latter designated the committee's budget "decision day."
"It's highly recommended," Michael said when asked by committee member Kelly whether employees are required to work holidays for overtime pay or whether it is optional.
"I don't know if I'm recommending a change in practice, but I thought it was worthy of discussion," Fenton said of the parking fund cost-allocation question.
"Truly does take a village to clean up after these storms," the committee chair said after DPW and Fleet officials described relying on rented equipment during the winter.
Why It Matters
The $1.325 million appropriation keeps Greenwich's snow and ice removal operations funded through the rest of the fiscal year after a winter that delivered roughly double the town's average snowfall. Town officials said the request is designed to bring overtime accounts back to zero rather than build in a cushion, meaning another significant March storm cycle could require a further interim request, though officials called that scenario unlikely. The unresolved question of how much of the cost the parking fund, rather than the general fund, should bear returns to the full BET on March 23, with implications for a parking fund that officials said is already facing significant capital expenses.
Key Motions & Votes
- Vote: Supplemental appropriation of $1,325,000 for snow and ice removal (PW4 and PS1, combined) Tally: For: 4, Against: 0, Abstain: 0, Total: 4 - Vote: Approval of six sets of BET Budget Committee meeting minutes, Feb. 17 through March 3, 2026 Tally: For: 4, Against: 0, Abstain: 0, Total: 4 - Action: Review of whether the parking fund should bear a share of snow-related overtime and salt costs — Continued to the March 23 BET meeting - Action: First read of proposed revisions to the BET Reference Book's Budget Committee sections — Continued, with a full BET vote targeted for June
Source
Greenwich Community Television: BET Budget Committee meeting, March 10, 2026