Winter preparedness on track in Mon Valley communities
Even though the Mon Valley is still awaiting its first major snowfall, many municipalities in the area are ready to respond to practically any form of winter weather.
Tom Santoro, crew leader for Charleroi’s Street Department, has wrapped up preparations for winter well ahead of time. “We filled our bin with salt and put the winter tires on our trucks,” he said. “In the meantime, we are trying to finish picking up leaves, so that will be one less thing on our to-do list when the snow comes.”
In addition to maintaining all of the borough’s streets, Santoro’s team is responsible for clearing major throughways like Route 88 and Fifth Street. “We are pretty much all set for winter but it’s important to keep an eye on the forecast. You never know what kind of surprises winter will have in store for you,” he said.
New Eagle is taking a proactive approach to keeping its roads clear this winter, said Jack Fine, president of the borough’s council.
“A few years ago, we had a difficult winter, and we learned an important lesson,” Fine said. “During one particular storm, everyone was out of salt, leaving us with a limited supply. When there is a winter storm, salt supplies don’t always come in on time. That’s why we try to keep our salt fully stocked now. Even after a minor snowstorm, we will replenish our supplies the next day.”
Fine added that the borough’s trucks have been serviced and are ready for any call that may come in. “We have a contract with the state to plow the major roads, including Main Street. We also work hard to clean our secondary streets. I’m proud of the work our road crew does to keep the roads clear for motorists and pedestrians.”
George Molovich, president of the West Newton council, is hoping for a mild winter. “Two winters ago, we had a pesky, persistent snowfall, and we had to use a lot of salt,” he said. “That put us over budget for the year. So the less snow, the better.”
Even if the West Newton is hard hit by a winter storm, the borough’s road crew is ready to respond. “Our salt coffers are full. We also constructed a new building to store our salt supply. So we should be in good shape,” said Molovich, who added that the borough is reimbursed by the state for plowing Main Street.
Carroll Township still has some salt left over from last winter. As a result, the township does not have to buy as much for this winter. “We also stretch out our salt supply by mixing it with anti-skid material,” said Thomas Rapp, chairman of the board of supervisors.
Rapp added that the township’s road crew is kept very busy during the winter. In addition to maintaining the township’s roads, the road crew subcontracts with Donora to remove snow on the road that stretches from the Donora-Monessen Bridge to the top of the hill.
One of the greatest challenges for Washington Township during the winter is staying on budget. “Last winter, it always seemed to snow during the evenings or weekends,” said Dan Moody, chairman of the supervisors. “Our road crew is union and they work from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. So if its snows off hours, our crew has to return to work. And we have to pay them overtime. But somehow, we always seem to survive winter.”
Moody noted that the township is well prepared for the coming winter. “We have ordered salt and we have stocked up on cinders, as well as a sand-based material that will be used in some areas. We also replaced our salt trucks and added a smaller truck that will help us to clear some of the tighter residential streets.”
Donora started preparing for winter during the summer months. “We recently bought another dump truck and we stocked up on salt,” said Council President Dennis Gutierrez. “Our road crew is well organized and has a great plan to keep our roads clear. We were ready for some snow last weekend but it held off. Whenever the snow eventually does come, we will be ready.”