Winter snows strain Buckfield budget

BUCKFIELD — The season's numerous storms have added up to big bills for the town, forcing a purchase of thousands of dollars worth of sand.

The storms have also cost certain taxpayers a mailbox, as a new plow blade has proven to be too high for the roads that run past many resident's homes.

"These little piddly storms have really taken a toll," Buckfield Town Manager Glen Holmes told the board of selectmen during its most recent meeting.

Chair John Lowell noted that the town had used more sand by late January than it had used for the entire winter last year.

The town began the season with 2,600 yards of sand on hand, but ran out by the end of January. An additional 1,000 yards of sand was purchased, at a cost of $7,000.

"That's a lot of money no matter how you cut it," said Selectman Robin Buswell.

"It sure is," agreed Holmes. "It's huge."

The storms have significantly outpaced the town's projections.

"We hope to use about 3,000 yards on average in a winter," said Holmes.

The amount of sand used in a year fluctuates wildly based on unpredictable weather conditions.

Last year, during a mild winter, the town used just 2,208 yards of sand. The year before that Buckfield used a whopping 5,500 yards, while the previous year saw 3,000 yards.

Holmes said that other area towns have also been hauling additional sand.

The total number of inches of snow that Maine has seen has not been unusual, but the frequency of the storms means that more yards of sand are being used per inch of snow.

Last year, statewide was 45.8 inches, far below average. This year, about 57 inches of snow have fallen. Annual averages usually range between 60 and 90 inches for the year, and the winter of 2007 - 08 saw a brutal 130 inches.

Buckfield residents have seen another danger emerge with the season's storms: a dangerously tall plow truck blade that has clipped several mailboxes.

"We've hit a few more mailboxes this year than last year," Holmes told the board. "I believe we've had eight reported so far, whereas last year, for the entire year, we had only five."

Holmes said that some residents might be better off to add a few extra inches of clearance to their boxes.

"The wing on the new truck is about three inches higher than the old one," said Holmes. "That, and we've had some new drivers. "