Warm December means Ottawa could save $1M on snow removal

The record warm weather is saving the city of Ottawa big money on snow removal.

The city blew through its snow removal budget last season, and isexpecting to be about $12 million in the red. Becaseof that shortfall,this year, the city isn't paying for snowplow drivers' overtime, gas and maintenance.

But Coun. Keith Egli, chair of the transportation committee, said the lack of snowfallis chipping away at that deficit.

"If the weather stays like this until the end of December, we should save at least $1 million. It's important because of course we're dealing with a deficit," Eglisaid.

The city estimates it will have spent $71 million on winter operations by the time2015 wraps.

'Crazy' winter weather

While the warm weather is good news for the city's bottom line, residents who'vewho already paid upfront for snow removal services may be feeling a little cheated.

"We're getting asked if they can get a discount because we haven't done any work yet and we haven't gone out yet," said Jesse Brouillette, who works in sales at J.R. Lawn Maintenance and Snow Removal Inc.

"People don't realize this is the busiest time of the year for us, putting the signs up, putting the routes together."

The company's snowplow driversare on a salary for the winter, said Brouillette.

Owner Joey Roberge says his company plows about 4,000 driveways a winter.This is the first December thathis snowblowers haven't left his muddy lot.

"I haven't seen a December quite this crazy and warm in 18 years of doing snow plowing, that's for sure," Roberge said.

But he's making sure he's ready when the snow does fall.

"One of the busiest months that I've ever had was in '07 and '08, when inMarch we got over a hundred centimeters in a week. For all we know we [could still]get one of the busiest winters ever."