Public works director defends snow response as union and residents demand changes; council explores reviving volunteer 'Snow Angels' program

The Public Works Committee spent the latter portion of its meeting examining the city's snow-response procedures after a January storm and heard pointed public criticism from union and neighborhood leaders.

Shara, who presented the department's snow-emergency procedures, said the city mobilizes pre-storm, runs roughly 50 trucks per 12-hour shift during major events, and prioritizes 30 downtown snow-emergency routes (about 54 miles) so emergency vehicles can travel. He listed preparation steps—equipment checks, salt inventories, staff scheduling and stakeholder coordination with the Allentown Parking Authority and the Allentown School District—and said the Jan. 25 event totaled 11.88 inches plus two inches of icing. "We fell in the category 3 there, class snow event," Shara said, and added that extended sub-freezing temperatures after the storm limited melting and complicated removal.

Shara provided cost figures and operational thresholds: the city maintains about 421 miles of roadway; an average dump-truck package costs between $250,000 and $300,000; contractors cost roughly $260,000 for every three days of snow removal; and the department generally seeks contractor assistance when events exceed about 12 inches. He said the department cleared about 30 blocks and areas around 27 schools during the response and stressed partnership with parking decks and school and transit partners to keep the city moving.

Members of the public pushed back. Ryan Hunsicker, a union representative, said, "The snow emergency was lifted way too soon on the 12 inch snowstorm," argued the city should have followed its manual more closely and questioned staffing decisions and manpower continuity. Business owner Don Ringer told the committee he paid privately for snow removal after his area received no removal and said some neighborhoods still lacked full snow removal around hydrants and streets.

Shara acknowledged gaps in specific neighborhoods and said the city is learning: late or non-moving vehicles in posted blocks delayed crews and added days to schedules; the department is reviewing how to improve postings, towing coordination and outreach. Councilmembers pressed for improved communications—options discussed included renting message boards, using digital billboards (bilingual messaging), a persistent city web page for snow information, targeted mailers to households on snow-emergency routes and expanded notice to non-digital users.

The meeting also turned to community solutions. Milagros Canales, who led the Snow Angels volunteer program in the past, described a neighborhood volunteer effort begun in 2011 that paired high-school volunteers with seniors for snow shoveling and senior checks. Canales outlined logistics used previously—volunteer registration through a city portal, pairing within walking distance, ID cards for volunteers, and equipment storage—and urged the city to consider a partnership model that addresses liability, insurance and coordination with schools and neighborhood groups. Councilmembers expressed support for exploring a revived program and directed the clerk's office to explore options and the possibility of a subcommittee to develop a plan.

The committee agreed to follow up on messaging, towing coordination and the volunteer program structure; the chair closed the meeting after thanking staff and volunteers for their work.