Skip to main content

Tab For County Snow Removal Hit $25 Million Before Monday’s Snow

By WTOP Staff

Snow removal equipment whizzes by on Woodmont AvenueThe cost of snow removal and storm cleanup in Montgomery County before Sunday’s snow was about $25 million, already much more than $9 million budgeted.

According to an executive staff report, that is good for the third most expensive winter since 2000, with 2009 and 2010′s “Snowmageddon,” blizzards accounting for $64 million in treatment and removal costs. The next year’s winter brought $27 million in removal and treatment costs for fiscal year 2011.

The 6-10 inches the county got Sunday and Monday might have put this winter on par or even past that one. The County Council on Tuesday will get a briefing on snow removal costs and a more detailed look at the major storm Feb. 12-13 that dumped 10-21 inches of snow across the county.

The county’s MC311 phone line experienced a technical problem on the morning of Friday, Feb. 14 that left many folks calling about unplowed neighborhood streets on hold. In the 11 a.m. hour of Feb. 14, MC311 reports there was a call abandonment rate of 73 percent with an average wait time of more than 35 minutes.

A server syncing issue between the phones and 311′s software system meant more time to process calls and prevented some call takers from being able to pick up the next call in line. According to the county’s Office of Emergency Preparedness and Homeland Security, the 311 welcome announcement was not changed to a technical difficulty message until about 9:30 a.m., about three and a half hours after the technical difficulties began.

As of Feb. 22, there were 3,800 requests made to 311 regarding snow removal, more than half of which came on Feb. 14. During a relatively calm winter in 2013, there were just 183 snow removal requests.

There were also reports of problems with the Department of Transportation’s Storm Operations Map, which at points on the night of Feb. 14 did not work.

As for the plowing and snow removal, DOT had 358 total personnel and 680 total pieces of snow equipment on the roads in the days following the initial storm and the additional 4 inches that fell later on Thursday, Feb. 13.

According to DOT, 505 of those pieces of equipment belonged to contractors. In all, 5,200 lane miles of roadway were plowed and treated with 15,250 tons of salt.

The 940 lane miles of county primary, arterial or emergency roads were cleared within nine hours of the initial storm Wednesday night into Thursday. The 4-inch second part of the storm required crews to go back to those roads and another six hours of re-treatment.

Neighborhood plowing of 4,210 residential lane miles was completed within 40 hours of the end of the initial storm and lasted until Sunday, Feb. 16.

On Feb. 14, the county determined it had to remove large piles of plowed snow in the downtown areas of Silver Spring, Wheaton and Bethesda because of subfreezing temperatures the next few days.

From 9 p.m. that Friday until 10 a.m. Saturday, the county called in 80 additional dump trucks and loaders to pick up and move snow to dumping sites in order to clear intersections and crosswalks.

The Council will get the briefing at 2:15 p.m. on Tuesday.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
Read Next Story

Related News

Frustration grows in Venezuela as earthquake death toll reaches 1,430

Israel and Lebanon sign framework agreement with US in ‘first step’ toward peace, Rubio says

Trump-endorsed populist poised to become Colombia’s next president as rival challenges vote