Responding to criticism from residents and business owners about what they say was a plodding snow removal effort this week, Plymouth officials cited a reduction in manpower and a “historic” 22-inch snowfall as among the reasons.
Bill Coyle, the town’s director of the Department of Public Works, told the Independent his department is down roughly 20 employees from its typical full complement of 100 deployed to clear snow, but his crews and independent contractors had been working as quickly as possible.
But those explanations weren’t enough for some already bracing for another predicted snowfall of up to 4 inches on Sunday. Among the critics was Select Board Vice Chair Dick Quintal, who used Thursday night’s board meeting to decry what he described as the town’s lackluster efforts.
He asked why after the storm ended Monday night, downtown streets – normally cleared of snow piles overnight to prevent the interruption of business at stores and restaurants – were not made passable until the next day, wreaking havoc.
“They were shutting down Main Street, and that was a big one,” Quintal said.
As of Thursday night – three days after the storm had passed – snow had not been pushed back from downtown and North Plymouth side streets, Quintal said, and sidewalks around Town Hall and Hedge School had not been cleared.
“Something wasn’t right somewhere,” he said. “The kids can’t be walking in the street. It seems like something was missing this time. I don’t know what it was.”
Schools were closed Monday and Tuesday, but many walkways were not clear when they re-opened Wednesday.
Town Manager Derek Brindisi, defending the response to the storm, said trucks began laying salt onto streets before snow started Sunday morning.
Brindisi said dozens of contractors and DPW employees were out on the streets for 36 hours, moving snow, clearing snowbanks, and cleaning up corners at intersections until 5 p.m. Monday before taking a break. They were back at work on Tuesday morning.
Brindisi called the 22-inch snowfall a “historic” storm and said removing snow from Court Street turned into a four-day operation.
The snowfall, while substantial, was not a record-setter, nor were winds and power line damage significant. On January 29, 2022, for example, the town was blanketed with 25 inches, and more than 144 inches fell during the winter of 1995-96.
According to Coyle, 35 to 40 DPW employees and 60 to 65 contractors are still out plowing and removing snow. He said as of Thursday afternoon, private contractors and a park employee had removed snow on Court Street from Leyden to Samoset streets. In addition, about 90 percent of the 35 or so intersections across town with school bus stops had been cleared.
Quintal’s complaints about downtown and North Plymouth were echoed by some residents who spoke to the Independent Thursday.
With Court Street blocked off for snow removal Thursday, the parking lot at Memorial Hall was not accessible to customers and employees of downtown and waterfront businesses, said Bonnie Owens, marketing director of Viscariello Hospitality Group, which owns the Mamma Mia’s restaurant chain. She said the problem compounded the inconvenience caused by construction on Water Street, where the flagship Mamma Mia’s restaurants is located.
“The servers and the bartenders are the ones who are most impacted,” she said. “They are the ones who are looking at diggers and backhoes instead of customers at table.”
Kate Sekerak, who lives on Bradford Street, called the town’s response to the storm “a dereliction of duty.”
“This was a big failure,” Sekerak said, adding that she did not see any town or contractor truck until 1 a.m. Monday, which meant the snow drifts had a chance to get deeper.
It was not until a neighbor saw lights in one drift that the street received any plowing, she said. The lights belonged to a car partially covered by snow. A police vehicle also got stuck, she said. Then a contractor truck with a plow on it came and got stuck. A large town truck with a plow finally got everybody out.
By Tuesday morning, she said, no crosswalks or fire hydrants had yet been shoveled out. In previous storms, she said, town employees had a system for the effective removal of snow that was not evident this time.
“If you come down Bradford Street, there’s just mounds of snow where there would normally be cars,” Sekerak said.
David Malaguti, a former long-time member of the Select Board and a former snowplow contractor who lives in North Plymouth, said he was “a little disappointed” with the town’s response.
But Malaguti also defended the town. He acknowledged this was the worst snowstorm in years, and the last two winters brought almost no snow, which meant some contractors – rather than pay costly liability insurance required to plow for the town – went to work for themselves instead.
Others in outlying parts of Plymouth praised the town’s performance.
“The town does a very good job,” said Pompey Delafield, who lives on Long Pond Road. “It’s narrowed down to one lane, but we are able to get in and out.”
In Manomet, Bill Ariante said considering the limited resources the town has, he was “very satisfied.”
On Friday, officials posted an update warning residents to brace for snow anticipated to begin Sunday morning and continuing overnight. As of late Friday, the path of what is expected to be a powerful northeaster was unclear, but it appeared Plymouth would escape its brunt.
“Residents should expect continued extreme cold temperatures, extreme wind chill, potential coastal flooding, and potential power outages,” a release said. “Town officials will continue to monitor conditions and will provide updates accordingly.”
It also said DPW “continues working to complete snow removal from last weekend’s winter storm and will be widening side roads on Saturday. Please note this may result in additional snow on sidewalks and driveway openings. The Town requests that all property owners clear the sidewalks and fire hydrants in front of their properties.”
Officials also urged residents to use 911 for emergencies, but provided these non-emergency numbers for residents:
- Plymouth Police non-emergency line: 508-746-1212
- Eversource (loss of power): 800-592-2000
They also suggest residents sign up for emergency notifications through Smart911, which delivers all official Town communications. To sign up for Smart911 alerts, go here.
Residents with concerns about snow removal, downed tree limbs, or street flooding, should submit them through SeeClickFix.
Fred Thys can be reached at fred@plymouthindependent.org.