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Budget woes force city to cut back on salt for residential streets

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By Samantha Sommer, Staff Writer Updated 7:02 AM Thursday, November 19, 2009

SPRINGFIELD — Last year the city cut back on salting residential streets due to a nationwide supply shortage.

This winter it will run a similar, reduced program to save money.

In years past, crews salted all residential streets, Service Director Jim Mann said.

“Right now, we don’t have the financial resources to do that,” he said.

City commissioners reviewed the proposed 2010 budget on Wednesday, Nov. 18. They also will hold a public hearing on the budget on Dec. 8 and vote on it Dec. 22.

The budget projects general fund revenues at nearly $37.3 million and expenditures at $38.3 million, meaning about $1 million in reserves will have to be used to balance it.

The city budgeted about $200,000 for road salt in 2010. Crews will continue to salt the major roads and focus on intersections, hills and curves on residential streets.

The city has enough drivers to cover plowing snow, Mann said.

But long storms that stretch out over several days will challenge the crews, City Manager Jim Bodenmiller said.

“It will stretch our abilities because we have less people,” he said.

Commissioners also discussed funding for the National Trail Parks and Recreation District. The city will provide the district with $1.6 million next year, including $150,000 for capital improvements.

That capital money will be combined with about $240,000 remaining from this year’s capital dollars to repair park roads, starting in Snyder Park, National Trail CEO Tim Smith said.

Commissioners have asked NTPRD to make its golf courses self-sufficient within three years to avoid large subsidies.

The courses should break even this year, Smith said, largely due to good weather and deferred maintenance.

“It’s grossly underfunded,” he said.

It’s still a big step, Commissioner Kevin O’Neill said.

“People still came to Springfield city courses to play,” he said. “That’s what’s important.”

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Considering the circumstances your right about that,but I pay taxes for police protection, drama free neighborhoods, and safe roadways for travel and I get none of that. If I owe you money your at my mailbox with your hand out. It's always gimme gimme gimme and never nothing in return. I sit on my porch and watch the drug dealers selling their crack daily. It has to stop or I will leave and you will never get another dime from me. I will vote down any levy you shoot my way.

Tired of Sprngfld
1:23 PM, 11/19/2009

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Tired of sprgfld - They might need to salt the roads at Ross Commons so the richie Doctors can get to the hospital to help out in case the juvenils and crack heads hurt you.

------
11:29 AM, 11/19/2009

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So the city is going to use stimulus money to pay my lost wages if they plow me in this year.(Yeah right) jerks. It's no wonder the juveniles and crack heads are burning this city to the ground. Another thing I will never go to your new hospital. I think the whole plan stinks. I am moving to Marysville in the spring and selling my house cause this city is dead just like the people who run it. I see you don't have a problem salting out Ross Commons for the ritchies and doctors.

Tired of sprgfld
9:53 AM, 11/19/2009

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Okay so no salt again this year...whats say the city just clears the streets in a timely fashion. And not just in the "well to to" neighborhoods.This will help US get to work to pay their taxes...Lord knows they need MORE taxes!UNBELIEVABLE...this city is run like a very bad business.Take,take,take and NEVER give back.It's no secret why it is turning into a ghost town.Time to take a good hard look at those we have allowed to be in charge of things and do a few "cut backs" of our own!

Stuck in Spfld
8:43 AM, 11/19/2009

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The golf courses need to be self-supporting within 3 years? So, that means GOLF COURSES are currently being SUBSIDIZED, at the expense of what? Street repaving? Salting the streets? Other service cutbacks? Snyder park (non-golf) falling down around itself?

Further, I assume that non-city golfers are charged higher rates, right?

Oh.

Priority-check, folks.

Boomer
6:49 AM, 11/19/2009

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