Borough Crew Makes Winter Dry Run
The street crew made a dry winter run Monday with the Somerset Borough plow trucks. (Photo by Judy D.J. Ellich)
Judy D.J. Ellich Daily American reporter
SOMERSET-— www.dailyamerican.com
On a day when sunlight hit the tree-lined streets in Somerset Borough causing the multi-colored leaves to appear translucent, the snow plow and the basketball hoop were on a collision course.
Or they would have been, if it had been a snowy day.
“See the hoop. If we kept going we’d lose the mirror,” borough street superintendent Chuck Glessner said Monday.
The mirror on the plow truck costs $900, he said.
Glessner and the borough’s street crew were conducting the annual winter dry run. As part of the drill, they drive their routes and look for obstacles along the roadway that could cause problems when the snow flies. Basketball hoops are one of those obstacles, as are tree branches and mailboxes.
On Monday the drivers took note of what might be hidden by a heavy show, like the fire hydrant at Edgewood and Race streets.
There are six plow routes in the borough, excluding those streets that are under the care of the state Department of Transportation. The routes encompass 2.38 square miles and 6,300 people, said public works director George S. Svirsko.
The drivers need to know the routes and obstacles by heart. They are also reintroducing themselves to the plows by doing what is called a “walk-around,” Svirsko said. They check hoses, belts, tires and the like, something they will do every time they start the trucks and snow-removing machines during the winter months.
The borough has about 33 miles of roadway to maintain and plow, so waiting until the snow falls to become familiar with the trucks and the routes is too late, borough officials said.
“We want to let our residents know that we are prepared for snow,” borough Manager Benedict G. Vinzani Jr. said.
The borough uses about 1,100 tons of salt and anti-skid over a winter. Snow removal costs are included in the borough’s annual budget, which is adopted by council in December for the following year. The costs include $70 a ton for salt, gas, vehicle maintenance and payroll.
“It is a rough ‘guestamate,’” he said.
For 2011 the borough budgeted $75,000 for snow removal. It has about half left for the remainder of the year. But no one can prepare for events such as the back-to-back blizzards of 2010, he said.
“We just deal with whatever comes,” Vinzani said.
The crew has to flexible, Glessner said. During a snowfall the crew is often on the streets around 2 a.m. and they start no later than 4 p.m.
During a snowstorm they may have to work 12- hour shifts until the streets are open. If there is an emergency, the drivers stop what they are doing and rush over to clear the way for first responders. If there is a water or sewer line break, which has happened, they have to do both at the same time, Glessner said.
He enjoys his winter job.
“I love to plow snow because it is such a challenge,” said Glessner, a 32-year borough employee.
Borough officials are asking residents to begin preparing for winter too by removing obstacles such as basketball hoops and finding off-street parking to use on snowy days.
As far as predictions by the borough crew about how much snow cover there will be this winter, there is no one answer.
They all agreed, however, that Glessner said it best.
“I’ll tell you better in April,” he said.