Politics & Government

No December Snow Leaves Mixed Emotions in Fox Point, Bayside

Villages garner big savings, snow aficionados are left disappointed.

The Bayside sled hill is quite green for the end of December, mailboxes are still in tact and kids are wondering why there's no snowmen in their yards.

Usually this time of year, you look out your window to see massive mounds of snow, but right now, it's nothing but puddles.

It's been a pretty quiet beginning of the winter season for much of Wisconsin, including Fox Point and Bayside. And while village government officials are glad that the lack of snow is saving them some money, many residents are a bit disappointed.

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Residents Lament Soggy Holiday Season

"Every morning when I open the living room drapes, I say a little prayer that it snowed during the night," Julie Olsen of Fox Point said in a Facebook post. "Sadly, my prayers are never answered. It's not winter in Wisconsin until there's at least two feet of snow on the ground."

Jennifer Wiegers of Fox Point said in a Facebook post she's "totally bummed" about the lack of snow.

Find out what's happening in Fox Point-Baysidewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"My motto is, if it's going to be cold there might as well be snow β€” and lots of it," she wrote. "So at least the kids wanna go outside and have something to play in."

And Rebecca Troeller in Bayside also laments the not-so-white winter we've had:

"I want to see my puppy frolic in the snow," she said. "And I want my kids out of the house. And I wouldn't mind going skiing either," she said in a Facebook post.

Lack of Snow Saves Some Dough

In 2011, Fox Point budgeted $62,000 for salting and plowing the roads, however, the village has used $56,330, or 91 percent, of that budget so far.

Village Manager Susan Robertson attributes that below-budget expenditure mostly to the heavy snowfall in the first few months of 2011 and barely a dusting this December.

"We're really looking at two different snow seasons combined," she said.

Much of the heavy snowfall came in

And in Bayside, it's a similar story. Alex Henderson, deputy village manager, said this December has been fairly unique with the near non-existent snowfalls.

In December 2010, the village spent about $6,300 on salt, overtime and other snow removal expenses.

"In comparison, this year we have used no overtime for snow/ice removal, and have used a total of about six tons of salt," he said. "So, for 2011, we’ve spent about $330."

In addition to the fiscal savings, both Henderson and Robertson say the lack of snow enables public works crews to complete other outdoor projects, such as trimming trees and getting some sewer work done.

"The big difference is the amount of additional work we’re able to complete with the weather cooperating, as well as the reduced costs for maintaining the equipment," Henderson said.

So, while residents may continue to wish, hope and maybe even pray for some of the white fluffy stuff, village governments are taking this as a free pass for December and tying up some loose ends before the flakes float in.


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