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PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT READY TO TACKLE WINTER
By Catherine Snipe
When the flakes fall, the Public Works Department is on alert. And thankfully, little snow cover this winter so far meant there was little to be on alert for.
But this week, meteorologists predicted the first major snowstorm to drop inches on Brick.
The weather for tomorrow (Friday, February 16) calls for partly sunny skies, but extended forecasts predict possible flurries on Sunday.
Robert Russo, director of the Department of Public Works, said his department has a 47 or 48 plows out when snow falls. He has several trucks stay in the yard but then go out immediately if other plows fail. Russo said this is much faster than sending out all trucks at once and finding a mechanic to fix a plow that is stuck in its route.
The township has about 52 plow routes. Trucks ride back and forth to move snow and apply de-icer along the routes.
If the storm exhausts the fleet, outside contractors are called in to help, Russo said. It may be possible to do it all in-house, but often the storm stretches the limits of the department.
"The 20 inches of snow we saw in storms a couple of years ago, they cost us several million dollars," Russo said. "There's no way we could do that in-house."
Township Administrator Scott Pezzaras said a snow plow fund established several years ago is useful for helping deter the immense costs associated with plowing for a major storm. The money in the fund could help pay for additional trucks, staff and man-hours in the event of an especially large snowfall.
By giving money to the fund, the amount budgeted for snow plowing goes down in the public works budget. The coming budget could see a $180,000 decrease to the snow plowing line item, Russo said.
Councilwoman Kathy Russell described the Public Works Department as running a very tight ship.
"You are always out there, your staff is on top of things and working to the best of their ability," she told Russo during a budget presentation on Tuesday.
Russo said that when a major push from Public Works is needed, such as during a major snowfall or when leaves seem to fall all at once during autumn, it means diverting the department's resources. For example, recycling collection may be canceled to send out more staff to plow.
It's the leaf collection that remains one of the most extensive tasks for public works. Russo said the unpredictable nature of autumn and winter weather makes it one of the most difficult to perform and schedule.
Russo and the township council urged residents to use biodegradable paper bags when bagging their leaves. Public Works personnel estimate that collecting paper bags can be thrown into collection trucks up to 10 times faster than plastic bags. Plastic must be opened, emptied and left behind, according to the department.
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