While use of their snow removal budget is pacing ahead of the last two winters, the City of Kalona remains in good shape for whatever weather may still come this season.

City Administrator Ryan Schlabaugh says due to the frequent heavy snowfall received this winter, they’ve spent about $27,000 of their $40,000 budget. He says that puts them at about 90% of the approximately $30,000 they’ve spent on average the past two years, “So, we’re trending to probably spend a little bit more this year as we look at our salt and sand supplies and those other things. A lot will depend on what we see (weatherwise). I’d love to think that we’re out of the woods, but we still have a little bit of time before we put up the white flag.”

Schlabaugh says snow removal this winter has been more labor intensive for staff, but they’ve also put less product on city streets than in previous years leaving them with an adequate supply of salt and sand for the remainder of the season.