Public Works Prepares for Old Man Winter

Saturday marks the official start of winter, but Monroe's Highway crews already responded to three storms in December, plowing away snow and ice from town roads. Interim Dir. Chris Nowacki says his drivers always try to be economical with the amount of sand and salt to stretch it through the season.

"The first few storms, because they were long and drawn out, this required us to put more material on the roads than during a normal storm," Nowacki said Thursday.

"We kind of calculate ourselves around a 20 storm cycle in our budget," Nowacki said. "It comes from past history. It provides a monetary amount for how much overtime and material for road treatment. We try to stock ourselves up for early storms and any stressful muti-storm winters," he said.

The worst winter of recent memory was 2010-11, when snow buried the region from a flurry of storms. Roofs were caving in all over town and crews shoveled snow off Monroe's school roofs.

"That was the winter where it never seemed to stop snowing," Nowacki recalled. "We hope not to see any winters like that anymore."

Always Prepared

The town Highway crew depends on Precision Weather, a paid service that faxes storm information to them every day. When a storm is on the way, Nowacki said someone from Precision Weather calls town officials to discuss it.

"They're seeing how quick the storm is moving, the wind and temperatures," he said, adding it allows Public Works to plan ahead.

Once it does start snowing, police officers out on patrol after hours report when the first coat sticks to the roads and Nowacki gets a call. Then he calls the foreman.

Police share the weather reports they receive from the Department of Homeland Security, according to Nowacki.

Drivers and mechanics at the Highway Garage on Purdy Hill Road constantly work to keep the trucks and equipment in tip top shape.

During construction season, drivers use any vehicle, but in the winter they are assigned to a truck, according to Nowacki. "We try to stockpile our materials. Check our trucks," he said.

Public Works has a five truck response or a 10 truck response, depending on what's necessary, according to Nowacki.

Enforcing a Parking Ban

When a snowstorm arrived on Dec. 14, a Code Red Notification went out to all residents about a townwide parking ban to allow Highway crews to plow.

"It went pretty well," Nowacki said. "We only had a few cars on the road."

When someone violates a town parking ban, it does not automatically lead to a fine or to the vehicle being towed. Nowacki said plow truck drivers talk to the owners if they see them outside.

"If no one is there, I go out and try to talk to the resident at the house," Nowacki said. "If no one is home, I provide police the information on the plate and the location."