Despite the current thaw, it’s been a snowy winter overall this season, which has meant additional work for the Brighton Department of Public Works hourly crews who have been out plowing and salting since the first snowfall in November.

Brighton DPW Director Marcel Goch says his hourly workers are doing an outstanding job this winter, not only in keeping city roads and streets ship-shape but also keeping city parking lots and sidewalks free of snow and ice. Goch tells WHMI that despite many overtime hours, his hourly workers’ wages have not had a serious impact on the department’s budget. "It usually takes two to three years to get an average of what a winter will cost you, what maintenance will cost. They're getting overtime and basically it's our job to make sure the streets are safe and traffic and businesses can operate the way they need to. But we're ok. It's early yet...but as of now, we're ok."

A city’s department of public works is not an inexpensive department to run. In the county’s townships, the Livingston County Road Commission takes care of salting and snow removal, since the roads are county roads. However, cities — including Brighton and Howell, are fiscally responsible for maintaining their own streets.

In the current, 2017-18 fiscal year, the Brighton’s Dept. of Public Works’ budget totals over $2.2 million, an amount which takes up over 20% of the city’s general fund spending of about $8.5 million. But Goch says the expenditure is well worth the ultimate goal of keeping the city’s streets safe for local motorists. (TT)