NEW ULM - The pain of the budget-busting snowfall this winter was moderate for the City of New Ulm.
The cost for snow removal for the 2010-11 season was $403,282. The number is just above the approximately $376,000 budgeted for snow removal this year.
New Ulm's second highest snowfall on record, approximately 83 inches, pushed City removal cost over-budget. The average cost of snow removal is approximately $4,800 per inch of snow.
The City cost is good compared to other area cities. For instance, Mankato spent more than $1 million on snow removal, well over the $700,000 budget.
City Manager Brian Gramentz was pleased with how close New Ulm stayed to budget, considering the conditions.
"We tried to be efficient and effective in our snow removal operations. This did not always satisfy residents due to the timing of downtown snow removal, but we tried to do the best with what we had to work with," said Gramentz.
(Josh Moniz can be e-mailed at jmoniz@nujournal.com)