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"This year we‘ll be over budget if we get hit with another major storm," said Rick McCabe, works manager with the town‘s public works departâ€" ment. One saving grace may be a proposâ€" al to establish a winter reserve budget, according to McCabe. The proposal went before town council at its special budget meeting Thursday night. The reserve would be established from a budget surplus last year. "(The winter reserve) proposal is to help us and to help council offset heavier than average years so it doesn‘t impact on the mill rate," McCabe said. According to statistics from Environment Canada 132 cms (51 inches) fell in the Toronto area between October of 1992 "and Feb. 22nd, 1993. Only 82 cms (32 inches) of snow fell during the same period last year. The record amount of snow this year has stretched the town‘s snowâ€" removal capabilities to the limit. By SAL BOMMARITO Oakville Beaver Staff To date, the town has spent about $800,000 for snow removal and that total is expected to climb with three weeks still to go until spring. The town has budgeted about $1 million for snow removal in 1993. The winter of 1992â€"1993 will always be remembered as an aboveâ€" average year for snowfall. Last Sunday‘s storm alone dumped around 20 cms (eight inches) of snow on the area. "This winter has been the excepâ€" tion rather than the rule," McCabe said. "We run a fairly lean contingent of staff. We don‘t budget equipment and manpower on a worstâ€"case scenario basis," McCabe said. When a winter storm occurs, pubâ€" lic works crews must work around the clock and extra equipment must be called in to help. he unusually high amount of E snowfall this winter has played havoc with the snowâ€"removal budgets of a number of municipalities â€" and Oakville is no exception. "I have to take my hat off to our employees. These guys are doing the work of two people. They‘ve worked around the clock. When you get hit Snow removal budget buckling under heavy snowfall THE OAKVLLE B * Cruise Holidays * Re/Max Specialists * Robert‘s Fish Cove Oakuville‘s Fun Crowd WIII be maklag frac 3 to a hot new L spof 467 SPEERS ROAD OAKVILLE Telephone 845â€"9742 or 845â€"3824 Regarding any delivery problems Doorâ€"toâ€"Door Flyer Distribution * Partial Delivery with a storm of highâ€"intensity it‘s difâ€" ficult," McCabe said. Despite the effort, the public works department inevitably receives calls from irate taxpayers who are upset with level of snowâ€"removal service the town currently provides. McCabe said residents are currentâ€" ly getting a level of snow removal serâ€" vice "beyond what‘s been approved by council." ""We go far beyond (what council‘s approved) and we endeavor to provide centreâ€"bare pavement and bare paveâ€" ment within 48 hours," he said. "Residents have to remember there are 570 kms of roads or 1,250 lane kms that we have to plow," he said. Primary arterials such as Speers and Trafalgar Roads are plowed first followed by secondary roads to permit emergency vehicles and buses to get through the snow. McCabe said roads within residential areas are "lower priâ€" ority roads" along with culâ€"deâ€"sacs. "Culâ€"deâ€"sacs are too time consumâ€" ing (to plow properly) during a storm. We usually go back with a frontâ€"end loader once the other roads have been cleared," he said. "Once we‘re satisfied the roads are clear, we clear every metre of continuâ€" ous sidewalk within the town," he McCabe said sidewalks in comâ€" mercial areas such as Lakeshore Road, Kerr Street and Bronte Road are kept clean during the storm, but other town sidewalks are left until after the roads have been cleared. What about the ageâ€"old complaint from people who have had their driveâ€" ways plowed in by the town‘s snowâ€" plow? "All the plows are oneâ€"way plows. Which means the snow runs off the rightâ€"hand side of the plow. The plow continues in a rightâ€"turn lane and the shovel is tapered so the snow doesn‘t come off it uncontrollably. The winâ€" dows will vary in size depending on how much snow we get." said.