After exceeding its 2008 snow-removal budget by approximately $172,000, Facilities Planning and Management is focusing on turf maintenance for the spring.

Bob Currie, assistant director of facilities services for FP&M, said $300,000 was initially budgeted for snow removal purposes, but because of the harsh winter weather, approximately $472,000 was spent on snow removal and other weather-related services.

Currie said the discrepancy between the budgeted funds and what was spent will be looked at closely before FP&M’s fiscal year ends in July.

“The first thing we’ll do is look at other [budget] areas to cover that – if we aren’t able to do that by year’s end we will make a special [funding] request,” Currie said.

Currie also said the snow and rain over Veishea weekend and the wet and cool weather experienced since the onset of spring have increased the need for turf maintenance on campus.

Other factors affecting the need for turf repair include tent usage on campus, vehicle traffic and foot traffic.

“What we’re doing here, maintaining turf, we’re just doing it on a larger scale than a typical homeowner,” Currie said. “We would look at turf in that manner anyway, and then when we have a lot of traffic on it like we’ve had, we may have to do some additional work.”

One area that has drawn significant concern is Central Campus – specifically areas near Curtiss Hall, a popular site for social activities.

“It certainly was, most immediately, right to the west of Curtiss Hall.” Currie said. “It’s a very popular area to hold events – that area, by far, has seen the most damage associated with event activities.”

While the cost of turf repair won’t strain FP&M’s budget, the costs from the winter season will.

“We just look at all of our maintenance budgeted across the board and, wherever we have a surplus in budget line-items, we can just move it from that item,” he said.