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Chesapeake Beach officials praise public‑works response to prolonged winter storm; outline repairs and follow‑ups
Summary
Town administrators and public‑works staff reported clearing roughly 25 miles of roads and 3.44 miles of sidewalks during the Jan. 26–30 storm period, responding to about 263 service calls and 102 online tickets. Council members publicly thanked crews; staff outlined remaining restoration, PFAS study plans, wastewater equipment fixes and a planned antenna installation with BGE to improve grid reliability.
Town Administrator Samilia and public‑works leaders briefed the council Feb. 19 on the town’s response to the late‑January storm, describing a sustained multi‑day effort by staff and contractors to keep roads, sidewalks and critical facilities accessible.
Samilia reported that town hall received 263 service calls and 102 online Zendesk tickets during the Jan. 26–30 event and praised staff and contractors for answering and routing requests while many employees worked remotely. Public works director Jay and crews cleared roughly 25 miles of roadway (not including HOA roads) and 3.44 miles of sidewalks, ensured school bus and warming center access, and coordinated with the county to share resources and warming sites.
Public‑works staff and wastewater operators described operational challenges and successful mitigations: crews responded to 31 frozen or burst pipes in different neighborhoods, wastewater operators logged extended overtime to keep the plant online, and control and pump issues were resolved with supplier support. The wastewater operator said RAS pump controller problems have been fixed and paint/pipe finish work is complete.
The town reported it is working with Eurofins on a PFAS study plan required by the state, continuing coordination with SHA on the MD‑261 Safe Routes/sidewalk project and planning to add antennas to the East Street water tower to support BGE grid automation and improve outage resilience.
Councilmembers and residents praised staff, contractors and volunteer community efforts that helped neighbors during and after the storm. Staff said restoration of disturbed work sites will continue through the spring and that additional follow‑up on the state‑led projects (PFAS study, SHA sidewalk procurement) remains pending.
What’s next: Staff will continue restoration work, provide updated PFAS testing plans to MDE, coordinate antenna permitting with public works and keep council informed on SHA‑related procurement and design matters.
