Fairbanks is putting more money toward winter. The City Council takes up its third budget amendment of the year on Monday, and it adds about $1 million in operating costs, mostly overtime for Public Works and the Fairbanks Fire Department. Public Works would get $200,000 more for temporary workers handling winter duties and $125,000 for higher fuel, oil and grease costs, while a jump in bed tax money, including more than $500,000 from 102 short-term rental operators who hadn't been reporting, helps cover the gap. The News-Miner has the full rundown on the budget amendment.
Our take: nobody who lives here is shocked that winter costs more than the plan said. Clear sidewalks and plowed streets downtown are worth paying for, and it's nice to see a good chunk of the bill covered by vacation rentals finally paying their share. With the city's surplus nearly used up after this, we'll be watching how the rest of the winter goes.
The city handles the streets, but your driveway is still on you. If you'd rather not be out there with a shovel at 6 AM, Good Hand Co. can line up local snow removal around Fairbanks and North Pole and get you a price first. And when all that slush starts ending up on the carpet, The Alaska Cleaning Company can give you a quote on a good cleaning.
Photo: the Cushman Street bridge into downtown Fairbanks in January 2008, cropped from a panorama. By JKBrooks85, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.