Winter doesn’t officially arrive until Dec. 21, but local public works departments are ready. The peninsula’s four towns have a fresh supply of sand and salt along with plow crews ready for the Maine winter. In Boothbay Harbor, the town needs five drivers to plow 33 miles of roads. The town crew has four members, but a fifth may be hired soon as Town Manager Julia Latter and Public Works Foreman Nick Upham finish interviewing applicants. 

Boothbay Harbor has two part-time drivers who typically maintain the sidewalks. Boothbay Harbor budgeted $33,000 for sand and salt and has a total winter operations budget of $108,347, according to town officials.

In Boothbay, the public works crew has a full crew of five ready to plow 64 miles of municipal roads. Boothbay budgeted $20,000 for sand and gravel, according to town records.

Southport recently hired a second public works crew member and is ready for plow season. Southport has 21 miles of roads. The town has stocked 500 yards of sand and 80 tons of salt, according to town officials.

Edgecomb doesn’t have a public works department. The town contracts with Scott Griffin to plow its 31 miles of roads. For Fiscal Year 22, Edgecomb pays Griffin $260,090 for the service. Edgecomb budgeted $60,000 for stockpiling sand and salt. Edgecomb bought its salt from New England Salt Co. through the State of Maine Road Salt consortium, according to town officials.