The $600K Snow Budget That Became a $6 Million Problem

About this episode

The episode discusses a Massachusetts town's snow budget that escalated from $600,000 to $6 million, exploring the implications for city budgets and operations.

A Massachusetts town budgeted $600,000 for snow and ended up spending $6 million clearing its streets. Norm Van Eeden Petersman, Daniel Herriges, and Gracen Johnson trace the links between winter operations, stormwater, supply chains, labor, and land use in cities facing serious snow. Starting with Boston’s overrun numbers, they widen the lens to Ottawa’s snow storage sites and Minneapolis’ potholes, asking what happens when seasonal extremes collide with tight city budgets. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES "‘That comes with a price tag’: How snow removal is busting town budgets" by Kate Selig, Bostonglobe.com (March 2026) "The Cost of an Extra Foot" by Chuck Marohn "Transactions of Decline" by Chuck Marohn Downzone: "Cost-Based Social Rental Housing in Europe" (Web PDF) The Ink (Substack) You'll Pay For This! (Site) Criminal Broads (Site) Norm Van Eeden Petersman (LinkedIn) Daniel Herriges (LinkedIn) Gracen Johnson (LinkedIn) Theme Music by Kemet the Phantom. This podcast is made possible by Strong Towns members. Click here to learn more about membership.

People in this episode

Host: Strong Towns

Guests: Norm Van Eeden Petersman, Daniel Herriges, Gracen Johnson

Topics covered

• snow budget
• city budgets
• winter operations
• stormwater management
• supply chains
• land use
• seasonal extremes

Keywords

• snow removal
• budget overruns
• urban planning
• city management
• winter storms
• public works
• financial planning

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Strong Towns

Books & works: ‘That comes with a price tag’: How snow removal is busting town budgets, The Cost of an Extra Foot, Transactions of Decline, Cost-Based Social Rental Housing in Europe

Places: Massachusetts, Boston, Ottawa, Minneapolis

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