Overview:
Athol's Public Works Department is preparing for a major snowstorm that is expected to hit the area this weekend. With over a foot of snow predicted, the department is urging residents to be patient as they may be short-staffed and have less experienced workers. The department has a $285,000 budget for snow and ice removal and is in good shape, but may need to call in retirees to help with the cleanup.
ATHOL – While many Athol residents will be in their living rooms this Sunday watching the Patriots take on the Broncos, Public Works Director Dick Kilhart and his team will likely be in the midst of battling what some are predicting will be the biggest snowstorm in years.
Snowfall should be well under way by kickoff, scheduled for 3 p.m. Depending on the storm’s track, North Quabbin could see more than a foot fall from Sunday into Monday.
Kilhart told the Athol Daily News Thursday morning that the watchword for residents during and immediately after the storm is “patience.”
“We’re actually down a couple of positions, as far as employees go,” he said. “So we’ve been a little behind the 8-ball with regards to some cleanup. Last weekend we were out from Thursday night, Friday morning, right through until Monday afternoon. We just want to emphasize for folks that we’re doing the best we can with the resources we have.”
The department’s snow and ice account, he said, is in good shape.
“We had a $285,000 snow and ice budget. With the most recent deliveries of salt, we’re probably somewhere around $100,000,” Kilhart said. “So, we’re not out of money at this point but it’s still early. Snow and ice season for us pretty much goes until April 1 now.”
To help make up for the vacancies in the department’s staff, Kilhart said, “We may fall back on some of our retirees to see if they have an interest in helping out. If this is truly a blockbuster storm that we might be looking at….guys have to take breaks. We don’t want our guys not being safe. There are times when folks are rotated around after 15, 16 hours and they’re taking a couple-hour break. So, folks just need to be patient, not only with our DPW but with everybody’s DPW.
“If we’re really going to get 20 inches of snow, for instance,” Kilhart continued, “and it’s going to potentially be the biggest storm in four or five years….it normally takes us four to six hours to go around the town once.”
But the task, he said, can take a little longer due to short staffing.
“The folks that we have left have to double-up, plus do the routes they would normally do,” he said.
Kilhart added that as veteran employees have left, those vacancies have been filled with less experienced workers.
“We fill those spots with new employees who aren’t completely familiar with their routes and we have few folks in those positions,” Kilhart explained. “They’re learning the streets. They’re learning the idiosyncrasies of a particular intersection, or the way a particular road curves, or there’s a circle there and they drive straight through it and go across the grass or tear up somebody’s front lawn. Those things happen, but we’re just hopeful our guys can push through.”
Kilhart noted that the town does not contract with private plow drivers to supplement the DPW staff.
“They haven’t for a long, long time,” he said. “A lot of towns do, but Athol does not. It’s something we talk about regularly with the powers-that-be, but it hasn’t come to be. So, we do the best we can with the resources we have.”
As far as available equipment, said Kilhart, “We have a couple of pieces that are down, but we have sufficient equipment to supply the crews that we have. We’re in pretty good shape.”
The DPW chief said a “snow and ice preparation meeting” was held Friday morning with his crew leaders “just so we can get a sense of what we can expect, because we’ll know more Friday morning than we will tonight.”
In an announcement from the town, Police Chief Jarret Mousseau said that the overnight parking ban remains in effect between the hours of 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. daily and that vehicles impeding snow removal operations are subject to being ticketed or towed.
“The Athol Police Department does not want to tow vehicles, however, given the amount of snow being forecasted, towing may become necessary if vehicles interfere with snow removal operations,” he said.
The chief added that reasonable efforts will be made to contact owners of vehicles to have them moved before towing. Fire Chief Jeffrey Parker has increased shift coverage during the storm.
“If you do not need to travel, please stay home during and immediately after the storm,” said Mousseau. “This allows the Athol DPW to do what they do best, clear our roads safely and efficiently.”