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OTTUWMA, IOWA -- Snow plows were active in Ottumwa Monday for the 17th time this winter.

Our Fact Finder team wanted to know how city budgets are handling this seemingly never-ending winter.

Ottumwa Public Works Superintendent Steve Edgington told our Fact Finder team the city has already surpassed its allotted budget of nearly $241,000 and the cost is only going to continue growing.

"This winter has been exceptionally hard on the budget.  We may end up with a record year.  With the heavier snows we had earlier and the blizzard like conditions, we have used quite a bit of our salt and sand for the year," said Edgington.

Edgington told Fact Finder salt is the biggest expense when it comes to snow removal.  He said both salt and sand prices have seen steep increases in recent years.

Edgington tells Fact Finder his department is doing everything it can to save money, including changing salt/sand mix ratios and using different chemicals.

“There is a reserve fund balance, unfortunately the more you use it the less likely you will have it for uses. So far we are Ok. I don’t anticipate problems once the winter season is over with and getting onto the streets and doing some pothole repair," Edgington said.

Ottumwa ordered more than 1,400 tons of salt at the start of winter and ordered an additional 500 tons, or $33,505 worth, this morning.

To save money the public works crews occasionally don’t plow all the streets.

"We had one incident last week on Friday where I sent a crew out and we did the emergency roads only, we did not do side streets. We have options like that," Edgington said.

Fact Finder discovered parking in snow removal routes not only can cost you a ticket, but cost the city more money.

Edgington said they request to the police to tow vehicles so the streets can be cleared properly.  He said they don't always get removed if officers are not available because many times they are tending to cars sliding off the raod.

If a vehicle parks along a route, crews have to go back and plow again, costing the city both time and money.