A Southwick DPW truck clears snow.
Reminder Publishing file photo
WESTFIELD — Because many of the commonwealth’s municipalities incurred some of the largest cost ever to remove ice and snow from their roads, Westfield and Southwick were included in an $80 million allocation included in the state’s fiscal year 2027 budget to offset the cost.
“That’s great news,” said Westfield DPW Director Randy Brown about the $513,511 the department can use to repair damaged roads.
Westfield racked up nearly $2.8 million this winter to keep the roads clear.
“I would imagine that’s the highest amount the city has spent,” Brown said, adding that the higher inflation attributed to the increased costs.
For comparison, he said last year’s costs were $1.64 million, and the year before totaled $1.2 million.
Westfield had a total of 15 plowable events, plus additional efforts to clean up downtown after the big event in January, he said.
The largest expense, $1.74 million, was spent on the private contractors hired to clear the 190 miles of streets and roads the DPW actively maintains.
Southwick was allocated $197,307 under the program, which is called the Winter Aid Recovery Program.
“This is like the last time,” Brown said, referring to WRAP, which was funded by the state Legislature in 2023 after a particularly brutal winter.
Brown said the allocation is considered reimbursable.
“We put together a proposal for MassDOT [for] approval,” he said.
The city then covers the cost and the DPW applies for reimbursement, he said.
He said the program has essentially the same requirements as the annual Chapter 90 allocation each municipality in the state gets each year.
In Southwick, which is already struggling financially, the $473,790 was covered primarily by free cash.
The state allocation covers:
- Snow clearing and plowing
- Roadway preparation and salting
- Icebreaking
- Flooding
- The reconstruction and resurfacing of roadways
- The repair of damage from downed trees; and
- Any unanticipated costs attributed to winter weather preparation or recovery
Labor costs associated with the above items are eligible. Funds may be used for costs already incurred by the municipality in response to winter storm events. WRAP funding, a state funding source, is applicable to all federal, state, and local procurement and prequalification regulations and guidelines, according to the MassDOT announcement of the allocation.
