Berkeley Snow Removal Costs Already Over Budget For 2018

BERKELEY TOWNSHIP, NJ - The recent Nor'easters have put a serious dent in the township's snow removal budget.

The cost for last week's storm alone totaled $178,000, Mayor Carmen F. Amato Jr. said.

So far, the township has spent $462,359 on the last three Nor'easters that required plowing. Township officials had estimated putting between $400,000 and $500,000 in the 2018 budget for snow removal costs, with $400,000 for contractor line items alone.

"So we're going to have to adjust that line item," the mayor said.

It costs the township roughly $100,000 for every eight hours when full snow removal operations - including plowing - are in effect, Amato has said.

It takes between 24 to 36 hours to clear a snowfall off the township's 271 miles of roads, cul-de-sacs and dead ends, depending upon the snowfall amount. The township begins plowing each street from curb to curb one once the snowfall amount reaches five inches.

Photo: Patricia A. Miller