Borough manager to ask council to use reserves to cover heavy snowstorm cleanup costs

The borough manager told the Finance & Revenue Committee that the recent multi‑phase snowstorm produced unusually high contractor and overtime costs and that he will ask borough council to use general‑fund cash reserves to cover those third‑party contractor bills.

In a briefing to the committee, the borough manager said preparation, response and an extended recovery driven by prolonged low temperatures — and a mix of snow, freezing rain and sleet — increased costs. He said the borough contracted Eagle Contractors for downtown work, kept the firm on duty through recovery and added a second contractor with heavier equipment during the second recovery week, which multiplied deployed equipment and contractor hours. "That's why those costs really started to pile up," he said, and added staff will present a fuller discussion at next week's work session and request council authority to use cash reserves to pay contractor invoices.

The manager referenced a comparable 2016 event in which the borough incurred more than $270,000 in third‑party costs to lift and haul snow and said staff are compiling overtime and contractor analyses covering the last two weeks of response. Committee members asked whether expenses are complete; the manager said most overtime is now very limited but some charges remain outstanding and will be reviewed before formal council action.

The item will be placed on the next work session agenda for committee review and a possible council request to move reserves for payment of contractor invoices.