Hamilton councillors are betting taxpayers’ money that Mother Nature will be nice to the city this year.

The public works committee this week approved a two per cent budget increase for the department that doesn’t include cutbacks in snowplow service, nor does it contain any additional fees for waste collection. Public works staff had suggested saving about $1 million by reducing snow plowing and adding a new fee to pick up bulk waste that would have raised $500,000 to cover falling recycling revenues.

Instead, the department will use revenues from its renewable energy department to offset any recycling losses and buy fuel for city vehicles at a lower cost, hoping gas prices won’t skyrocket this summer.

As for all those savings councillors and taxpayers expect from a lack of snow, Gerry Davis, public works general manager, poured cold water on those assumptions.

“Just because we don’t have snow doesn’t mean we have all kinds of savings,” he said.

The city still has a host of fixed costs to pay whether it snows or not, he noted. Contracts have been established, and employees have to be paid. The winter control budget for this year is about $24 million, based on a five-year average. Davis said he can reduce the budget by about a $1 million.

Politicians, who were adamantly against any proposed new fee increases or service reductions a week ago, were satisfied with the changes the department staff made.

“I’m thrilled you are down to two per cent,” said Ancaster councillor Lloyd Ferguson. “I don’t see a lot of risk.”

The department’s initial budget hovered around the three per cent mark.

Added Mountain councillor Tom Jackson, “I’m really pleased and impressed. With winter control, we are crossing our fingers.”

And despite some initial misgivings, councillors agreed to hire five new temporary employees for the Office of Energy Initiative. Geoff Lupton, manager of energy initiatives, made a presentation that revealed the department has saved the city about $13.2 million since its creation in 2008.

Davis said the people will be contract employees. The money to pay them will be found within the city’s current budget.

“If they prove their worth, then we will keep them, with council’s approval,” he said.

Even though the public works budget met council’s two per cent budget increase goal, politicians still must decide whether or not to approve enhanced services that they refused to debate at the committee level.

Councillors left in limbo proposed services, such as phase 4 of the city’s street tree-trimming program at a cost of $530,000; $418,000 for the city’s parks and cemeteries; a street sweeper and operator for $263,000;  $51,000 for the forestry department, and traffic upgrades at a cost of $59,000.

If councillors approve the programs, it will push the public works budget to nearly a three per cent increase. But politicians didn’t want to touch the programs. Instead, they referred the proposals to a future committee of the whole budget meeting for discussion.

Councillors are hoping to finalize the 2010 budget by the end of February.