LIVERMORE FALLS – Town public works foreman Bill Nichols told selectmen Tuesday that he needs another 500 yards of sand and 50 tons of salt to go with it.

Nichols and Town Manager Martin Puckett plan to make calls to local contractors to get the best price for sand delivered since there is really no time to go out to bid.

So far this winter, 125 inches of snow has fallen with 48 inches of that in February, Nichols said.

As of Feb. 13, the department has used 931 yards of sand since Nov. 7, 2007; 360 tons of salt; and 140 gallons calcium, according to a storm records sheet.

Nichols said there is about 150 yards of sand left.

“We really don’t have the time to haul it ourselves,” he said, adding that the crew is busy with snow removal and trying to keep roads and sidewalks passable.

“We’re over (budget) in diesel fuel and have four or five months to go,” he said.

The budgeted amount for diesel fuel is $17,000 for this fiscal year, and they’ve spent more than $3,000 more than that so far.

When the budget was put together in 2007, diesel was about $2.25 a gallon, Nichols said, and he’s been paying about $3.12 a gallon this season.

“Last week between (Wednesday and Thursday) we used 248 gallons of diesel,” he said, and 175 yards of sand.

He sent in the town’s request to have $16,533 reimbursed to Maine Emergency Management Agency at its request, which will be sent to the Federal Emergency Management Agency if an emergency disaster is declared for the Feb. 13 and 14 storm.

On a brighter note, Nichols said, payroll is doing good.

Crew members were all up in the 70-hour range due to last week’s storm, but other than that it’s been going OK, he added. They did hire outside contractors with trucks to help remove snow.

“Repairs and parts are getting up there,” Nichols said. “It’s been a long winter and we have an old fleet,”

They’ve spent 68 percent of the total public works budget, he added.

“It’s not bad, it’s not good,” he said, but the town is in better shape compared to other municipalities he has heard about.

Nichols also told selectmen he had a hard time getting salt, but it has since been delivered with one more load to come in.

The town is locked in at a price of $59.54 a ton for salt.

It paid $3 a yard for sand last fall with the town crew hauling it, Nichols said.

“We really don’t have much choice,” Selectman Louise Chabot said, adding that they have an obligation to make the town safe.

Better safe than sorry, Chairwoman Jackie Knight added.

Chabot asked Nichols to get an estimate on how much he’ll need to finish the year in case a special town meeting is needed to authorize additional funds. Spending can exceed the budget by 15 percent, Chabot said, without calling a town meeting.