Town workers before dawn Wednesday are to remove the nearly one foot of snow dumped on New Canaan during last Thursday’s storm—an effort that’s expected to cost about $27,000, officials said.
Banks of snow along the sidewalks downtown are preventing parked motorists from getting quickly to the shops. Credit: Michael Dinan
Starting at midnight and working until about 6 a.m., public works crews will divide into three groups and focus on three separate areas working their way toward Main and Elm Streets downtown, Public Works Director Tiger Mann told members of the Board of Selectmen during their regular meeting Tuesday.
“We have had multiple, I would not say ‘complaints’ but ‘suggestions’—that we remove the snow and have some cut-outs cut into the snow banks so people parking can get into the businesses,” Mann said at the meeting, held at Town Hall. “We did have one student, a resident who needed to some community service so he spent about six hours shoveling snow for us on Saturday opening some crosswalks and cut-outs but walking around and looking at it this morning we need to remove the snow and get it out of here.”
The comments came during an update on snow removal and budget that First Selectman Kevin Moynihan requested of Mann.
The little bit of snow that New Canaan got Monday night cost about $7,220 as public works crews treated the roads, Mann said, while the larger storm from last week cost $48,000 in highway department man hours and materials alone, not counting parks department costs.
Moynihan asked whether Mann expected to have another update toward the close of January.
“We will be coming back,” Mann said, as the current forecast for better weather likely will be followed by more cold days.
What a waste. After waiting a week. Guess downtown commercial complainers rule the roast. Let’s see $27,000 when Mother Nature will wash it away cost free beginning tomorrow night with 50 degree temperatures and 2 to 3 1/2 inches of rain. Guess when you spend other people’s money you do not need to have any knowledge of cash management. Perhaps we should dock the salary of the genius who made this wasteful decision.
The high temperature was 48 on Thursday and 50 on Friday and Saturday with rain. What a waste of taxpayer funds. If this was so important, why not ask one of the volunteer groups at NCHS like the S.L.O.B.s for some help? This works about to $4,500 per hour for the 6 hour project, either there were a ton of people working or the hourly rate is very high…
Would the town be liable for injuries if someone slipped and fell while the town waited for the snow to melt?
Were the town merchants complaining about people not being able to have easy access to their stores?
Point is they already waited a week. They allowed a six day hazardous condition to prevail. Storm was the Thursday before with a full weekend passing. Then spent $27,000 the day before 3 inches of rain and 60 degree temperatures. Total mis management and waste.