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Lebanon mayor details snow emergency response: 5,733 tons removed, crews to continue cleanup
Summary
Mayor Sherry Alcopello told the City Council that crews and contractors removed about 5,733 tons of snow after the recent storm, described equipment and staffing challenges and said further cleanup and targeted narrow-street work will continue the next day.
Mayor Sherry Alcopello on Jan. 29 told the Lebanon City Council the city mobilized crews and contractors to respond to a recent multi-day snow emergency, removing an estimated 5,733 tons of snow and continuing cleanup operations.
Alcopello said the city began preparing about a week before the storm and declared a snow emergency effective 6 p.m. Sunday. Public Works began salting before the snowfall intensified; crews worked in shifts and contractors handled parking-lot and alley plowing. "We actually received quite a few compliments," the mayor said, adding that crews worked long hours while still learning from the event.
The mayor provided operational figures: roughly 22 tri-axle trucks supported a snowblower in 12-hour shifts, producing 361 dump loads (about 5,415 tons) from emergency routes plus another 53 loads (about 318 tons) from narrow streets for a combined total of approximately 5,733 tons removed. She also estimated blower-related costs and logistics, saying the blower operation could run "probably most likely... $60,000" for the two nights of heavy use, emphasizing the need to coordinate trucks so the blower is not idle.
Council members and residents raised questions about priority streets and sidewalk enforcement. One council member asked whether 6th Street — near school routes — would be plowed to the curb; the mayor said narrow streets are selected based on prior engineering evaluations but that staff would "take a look" at specific requests. On enforcement, the mayor said police issued citations (she reported 134 citations and 56 vehicles initially towed to enable plowing) and reminded residents that private contractors may not push private-lot snow onto public streets.
Alcopello described early mechanical problems with the blower during extreme cold and said a newer operator and equipment jams slowed work on the first night, but that operations improved the second night. She said the city plans a post-event review to identify improvements and to retain institutional knowledge for future events.
The mayor said additional cleanup would continue the next morning, with crews concentrating on narrow streets and parking lots to restore safe access. Residents were asked to report specific contractor misconduct or unsafe snow placements to Public Works so staff can investigate under existing ordinances.
