First Selectman's Corner - March 15 2019 - Winter Challenges
March 15, 2019
I hope you are finding our new, upgraded, website to be user friendly and also a good resource for information pertaining to New Hartford. There are several new features that should help you access information easier. The “Calendar” is a great way to keep up with what’s going on in Town!
This winter was certainly a challenge for our highway team. There wasn’t a lot of big snow storms. This winter, we had a year full of smaller storms that included a combination of snow and ice…and nearly every storm that hit us occurred at night and/or on the weekends.
One might think that the highway crew enjoys all of the “overtime hours”, but that is not always the case. After a month or two of late nights, they would much rather spend their evenings and weekends with their families (just like you and I do). I’d like to take this opportunity to explain a little bit about snow removal procedures, so that you are aware of the process.
Each member of the highway crew has an assigned route and truck. Together, they are responsible for maintaining 82 miles of road in New Hartford (or about 8 to 10 miles each). It takes an average of about 3 to 4 hours to fully complete one assigned route (this includes the time it takes to load and reload sand/salt that is used on the roadway). During heavy snow storms, it is nearly impossible to keep roads ‘snow-free.’ Single passes down feeder roads allow the crew to devote additional time to keep major, heavily traveled roads clear. Crews go back to less traveled roads at the end of a storm and do necessary clean up to restore them to full width.
Ice presents an entirely different challenge and an entirely different way of clearing the roads. The pavement is not cleared completely during these events. A small layer of snow is left on the roadway so that the roadway is not subject to being a sheet of ice. Sand is then used to provide additional traction. When the temperatures have risen and ice melting product begins to work, the snow is then removed from the surface.
Snow removal can be a long grueling process and as spring approaches, I can see the fatigue that begins to take its toll on members of our team. We’re fortunate to have such a dedicated group of employees working hard to keep us safe.
Before long, the snow will melt and “Spring” will arrive and our attention will turn to street sweeping and summer road improvements. Until then, I’ll be preparing our annual budget for review and a vote in early May. As always, if you have questions or concerns, feel free to call or email me at Town Hall so we can keep you informed of what’s happening in our beautiful Town!
Dan