Local streets are looking a little neater, overhanging trees trimmed, storm drains cleared of leaves and debris, and public works budgets are more flush than usual at the start of spring.

This year’s mild winter left municipal road salt bins still well stocked, public works crews well-rested and public works directors with time to plan projects, seek grants and get some work done that usually has to wait for spring thaw.

Municipal leaders throughout the region reported unanticipated surpluses in their snow removal and overtime budgets, a financial relief from the inflated salt prices of last summer and still high diesel and heating costs.

“With the milder weather, we have been able to get a jump on preparing roads for the upcoming paving season, screening leaf compost at the transfer station, doing a townwide litter pick up, cleaning drainage outlets, and assisting Parks Maintenance with several projects,” Groton Public Works Director Greg Hanover said.

Groton had six snow or ice events this year, while Hanover said in a “normal winter,” the town would have had about 15 call-outs to crews to salt or plow roads and clear snow from town property. The town saved about $100,000 in overtime and $20,000 in salt.

“Much of this savings will be used to offset the unexpected increases in heating oil and diesel fuel prices as well as electricity hikes,” Hanover said.

Norwich has used only about 600 tons of its 3,500 tons of stored salt, Public Works Director Patrick McLaughlin said, a relief given that the price of road salt has gone up by about 50% over the past two years. The city saved on high diesel costs by not running the trucks as often.

McLaughlin said some of the savings went for “other productive projects,” including replacing old, rusted guardrails in the city’s business park.

Norwich Comptroller Josh Pothier said beside the salt usage, the most direct measure of a bad versus mild storm season is the overtime budget for the streets/maintenance division. So far this fiscal year, Norwich has spent only $34,412 of the $102,000 overtime budget. During the same period in the 2020-21 fiscal year, Norwich had spent over $90,000 and last year, $100,000.

With the warm weather, Norwich public works staff have been able to run street sweepers earlier than usual and install new playground equipment in Mohegan Park. Storm drains often clogged by frozen wet leaves are being cleaned.

Norwich City Manager John Salomone said the city sets its annual storm budget using a three-year spending average to avoid peaks and valleys. It’s too risky to assume this year’s spending will be repeated next year.

New London Public Works Director Brian Sear said the city has spent around $120,000 in snow removal, salt and overtime thus far this year, compared to $350,000 to $400,000 in previous years. He said unspent snow budget funds will carry over to the following year and pay for other road projects.

Stonington Finance Director James Sullivan said the town budgeted $140,000 for snow removal labor and used only $55,363. Stonington budgeted $159,500 for materials and used $85,532.

East Lyme Public Works Director Joe Bragaw said the estimated $60,000 savings in storm overtime and salt costs helped offset the higher costs for the salt purchased last summer.

“We are intending on returning the unused funds to the general fund at the end of the year to offset increases to next year’s budget,” Bragaw said.

With the mild weather, Bragaw said his staff was able to do “a lot more” roadside trimming than normal and has used his staff to make improvements at the transfer station on Roxbury Road. The town received a state Small Town Economic Assistance Program grant to replace the aging scale and the old scale house and add a bathroom at the transfer station.

“The guys have been working on the site work associated with that,” Bragaw said. “After the improvements, the facility will have a much better flow and be more efficient for the customers.”

Preston budgeted $53,000 for salt and has $18,000 remaining. But First Selectwoman Sandra Allyn-Gauthier said the town is committed to buying 100 tons of salt next year, so the town won’t see that much savings there. She did not want to predict overtime savings until spring storms come and go, with potential street flooding or downed tree limbs.

Preston Public Works Manager Jim Corley also used the warm weather to start sweeping roads, cutting back road edges, do tree trimming in-house, including all of Krug Road. Street sweepers were out again this week, Allyn-Gauthier said.

Like East Lyme, Preston used the warm winter weather to get a jump on prep work for grant-funded renovations to the town transfer station. Preston received a nearly $500,000 STEAP grant to upgrade the transfer station.

And Corley has used some of his unanticipated spare time to go after other grants for town infrastructure improvements. The work has paid off. Preston received preliminary approval for a state Transportation Rural Improvement Program grant for $1.08 million to redesign Mathewson Mill Road, adding bicycle paths to tie into Preston Community Park and the Tri-Town Trail. The final application was due March 20.

“We got the pre-approval,” Allyn-Gauthier said. “We just had to submit the final plan.”

c.bessette@theday.com

Day staff writers Kimberly Drelich, Elizabeth Regan, Johana Vazquez and Carrie Czerwinski contributed to this report.