Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Storm Response topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Chester officials outline snow response: limited salt effectiveness, equipment and staffing stretched
Summary
City officials said 21 public-works staff and parks crews worked 12-hour shifts since early Sunday to clear roads; roughly 150–200 tons of salt have been used and equipment from private contractors is aiding removal of pileups.
Chester officials told the City Council on Jan. 27 that the city’s public-works and parks crews have worked through the storm in 12-hour shifts to keep major streets and priority locations passable, but that ongoing subfreezing temperatures have reduced the effectiveness of road salt.
Public Works Director (Hayman) told the council the department had 21 employees and additional parks staff working 12-hour shifts since 4:00 a.m. Sunday. "We have 21 workers in the public works department… working in 12 hour shifts since 04:00 in the morning on Sunday," he said, describing continuous plowing followed by salting where temperatures permit.
Hayman said this storm produced the most precipitation the city has seen in about 10 years and that forecast temperatures remaining below freezing limit salt’s effectiveness: "For residents who aren't aware, road salt does not work at all below about 12 degrees Fahrenheit, but it stops working well even in the twenties." He warned of continued icy conditions and said crews will continue round-the-clock operations where possible.
To address accumulation and to keep travel lanes open, Hayman said the city is using front-end loaders and tri-axle trucks (two front-end loaders and two tri-axles from Moore Construction). He also told council staff had logged 355 resident calls over the weekend and were handling roughly 60 locations at a time, prioritizing seniors, medical emergencies and other urgent needs.
Hayman reported using about 150 to 200 tons of road salt—roughly half of the city’s on-site storage capacity—and said the city expects to resupply when possible.
Councilors asked about narrow neighborhoods that are difficult for large plows to access. Hayman said smaller equipment is being assigned to those areas (Buckman Village, Sun Village and Sun Hill were cited) and that the city is attempting to reduce unnecessary travel across the network to improve response times.
A fire-department representative said early in the storm their plow assisted ambulances that had become stuck; the city has not received further reports of ambulances being impeded since then.
A local physician issued a public-health warning to residents about the risks of shoveling heavy snow, particularly for men over 45 and women over 55 or anyone with heart disease, diabetes or high blood pressure, and advised residents to seek help rather than overexert themselves.
On sanitation, a public commenter noted missed trash pickups; Hayman said the hauler reported access problems in narrow streets and the city will follow up to collect missed service areas.
The council closed the public portion of the meeting by thanking crews and reminding residents to remain cautious on icy streets.
What this means: Chester’s winter response is continuing but constrained by weather and staff limits; residents with urgent medical needs or mobility concerns were prioritized for service and the city plans to restock salt supplies as soon as possible.
