Public works: 164 of 179 contracted plows responded to Lynn storm; council presses for more equipment, better oversight

Andrew Hall, Commissioner of Public Works, told the Lynn City Public Works Committee on Feb. 25 that 164 of 179 contracted pieces of plowing equipment responded to the city’s most recent winter storm and that the department typically plans for about 10% absenteeism.

The update came at a committee meeting called to review storm response after councilors reported narrow streets, blocked driveways and complaints that some private contractors were pushing snow back into residents’ driveways. "For this storm... we have 179 pieces of equipment contracted to plow. And of that 179, 164 showed up at the last storm," Hall said.

Committee members pressed Hall on several operational points: how the city decides when to declare a snow emergency, how contractors and seasonal "chasers" are trained and supervised, and what identification is used so residents can tell whether a plow is working under a city contract.

Why it matters: Councilors said the city’s capacity and coordination affect public safety and access on steep streets and dead ends, and they want clearer systems so recurring problem side streets are not missed. Councillors described repeated constituent calls about the same "hot spots" after successive storms.

Hall described the call process: when a forecast predicts a plowable event (city practice is to consider plowing at roughly 3 inches of snow), he said he briefs the mayor’s office and a video conference is convened that typically includes the mayor, chief of staff, a council representative, fire and police representatives, the water/sewer commission and school leadership. Those participants offer operational input and the city weighs the timing of a parking ban, which can in turn affect school operations.

Key details captured at the meeting: - Contracted fleet and staffing: 179 pieces of contracted equipment were signed to plow; 164 showed up for the most recent storm. Hall said he would prefer a contracted pool of about 250 plows. - Chasers and supervisors: The department uses route supervisors called "chasers" to check routes; Hall said the program has about 30 eligible chasers and estimated that roughly half reported to the last event. Councilors said inconsistent chaser coverage was a weak link that contributed to missed side streets. - Training and orientation: Hall said the department holds an orientation meeting for contractors in early winter (he referenced a second-week-in-December session) but also hires last-minute contractors and does not always turn them away for lack of orientation. - Pretreatment and sanders: Hall said sanders are included in the department’s price structure and the city can hire contractors with sanders; he asked councillors to provide contractor names if they know them so the city can contract for pretreatment services. - Equipment counts: Hall said the city operates about four front-end loaders that can be used to widen streets or remove berms after plowing. - Parking ban timing and consequences: Councilors emphasized the trade-offs in declaring and lifting parking bans — early bans can block school or event parking, while late bans can prevent heavy pretreatment before rain or freeze. - Sidewalks and enforcement: Hall said clearing sidewalks is generally the duty of the abutting property owner and is enforced by inspection services. He said the city clears sidewalks it owns adjacent to city properties.

Council members called for better documentation of recurring problem streets so chasers and contractors prioritize them, better identification of contractor vehicles and more enforcement against residents who shovel or blow snow back into streets. Several councilors urged the department to tighten contractor supervision and to seek more DPW-employed chasers where possible.

Hall closed by offering direct contact routes for councilors: he asked that messages be sent to Associate Commissioner Lisa Narick (the department liaison) so staff can respond quickly to complaints.

The meeting contained no formal votes on policy changes; councillors asked the department for follow-up information on contractor training, chaser staffing and a list of recurring hot spots.

For now, Hall said the department will continue to ask for more contractual plows, refine chaser assignments and hire contractors with sanders when available to improve pretreatment and cleanup.