Latest storm could push city over snow removal budget
Uniontown Mayor Jim Sileo said the cost of removing the 2 feet of snow that fell Sunday and Monday could push the city over its $60,000 snow removal budget for the year. Sileo said snow removal expenses totaled almost $40,000 three weeks ago – well before the latest snowstorm.
Most of the costs are overtime pay for street and sewer department employees who have been plowing and spreading anti-skid and salt on roadways, he said.
Other costs will include repairs to all four street department trucks, which suffered broken axles Sunday and Monday.
Sileo said he’s maintaining his state of emergency order until Friday in hopes of increasing the city’s chances of receiving funding from the state and federal governments to help pay for snow removal.
Meanwhile, Uniontown street department workers started clearing snow from alleyways, which allowed sanitation department workers to begin collecting garbage Wednesday.
Sileo said street and sewer department workers are getting a handle on the accumulated snow, He said residents who normally would have their garbage collected Monday had it picked up Wednesday and collection will remain two or three days behind the regular schedule until workers get caught up.
He said he did not want to risk, and the city could not afford, the expense of repairing garbage trucks that could have gotten stuck and broken down in the snow-filled alleys.
Only one of those trucks was back in service Wednesday, but the sewer department has been helping with its trucks and South Union Township loaned a truck to the city.
“I took a ride around the city and I’m pleased with what I’m seeing,” Sileo said about the work done so far by the employees.
However, much snow remains and the crews will be back to work early today.
Sileo said the street department workers will hit the streets at midnight Wednesday and work to 8 a.m. Thursday. Then sewer department workers will take over until 4 p.m.
He said they will concentrate their efforts on downtown streets, which have become narrow due to the piles of snow along sides of the streets.
“We still have a lot of snow left,” Sileo said. “We’ll work one day at a time.”
The mayor continues to advise residents not to drive in downtown unless it’s necessary to avoid interfering with the snow removal work.