Weather-related shutdowns cost U. big bucks

Cold weather, ice storms and emergency closings are expensive business for the University. And the University is spending more money than expected dealing with one of the Delaware Valley's worst winters in decades, officials said. Executive Vice President Janet Hale said last night that, as of Sunday, University expenditures to remove ice and snow have totaled $343,000. Compared to last year, Hale said, Physical Plant's purchases of salt and limestone alone have quadrupled, reaching a staggering $141,000. Plowing and salting, however, are not the only costs the University faces in the aftermath of this year's brutal winter weather. Director of Human Resources Information Management Gary Truhlar said he estimated the University lost $1 million each day it was shut down in pay to workers who stayed home during the emergency closings. In addition, Truhlar said "essential personnel," who remain on duty during closings, are paid premium wages. Benjamin Hoyle, acting director for budget and planning, said the largest area of additional funding would be in Physical Plant. Executive Director of Physical Plant James Wargo said Physical Plant usually budgets about $80,000 for labor and supplies to contend with "normal" winters. "But I would have to consider this winter abnormal," he added. The high volumes of snow and ice also prompted Physical Plant to go to outside contractors to hire workers and equipment to assist with the snow and ice removal, Wargo said. Although the contracted workers often worked nights and weekends, Wargo added that they did not "gouge" the University by charging excessively high fees. The salt suppliers, however, were much less merciful in their pricing. Wargo said the price of salt practically doubled overnight. Before this winter, the going price for a "load" of salt -- which equals 20 tons -- was $8,000, Wargo said. He added that the University usually gets by with about two loads. But this year the University has already bought 8 loads, most of them at the price of $17,000 per load. "Our budget is broken," Wargo added. "We're already approaching three to four times more than what we expected to pay for the entire winter." Because of the unusually cold weather and higher demands for heat, Hoyle said he expects to see an increase in January's utility bills as well. "Your utility costs are virtually uncontrollable," he said. "But we try to build a cushion into the utility budget anyway." According to Hoyle, the extra costs from the weather to the University have not yet reached a critical level. "We do have contingencies in the budget for this," he said. But as the bills pile up higher than the snow accumulations do, the contingencies can only cover so much. "We may find we're doing some belt-tightening by the end of the fiscal year," Hoyle said.