Chester public works: staff mobilized, salt usage fell sharply in recent storm

Andrew Haman, Chester’s director of public works, briefed the City Council on the department’s response to the recent snowstorm and compared operations with a larger storm about a month earlier.

Haman said the prior, colder storm consumed roughly 400 tons of road salt (essentially the city’s storage capacity) while the recent, warmer storm required about 50 tons. Because temperatures were higher in the most recent event, crews could plow, salt and clear more effectively; staff worked extended shifts and rotated in 12-hour shifts during the response.

Haman described operational highlights: use of a newly acquired bucket truck to clear snow from traffic lights, moving hundreds of loads of snow to off-street staging areas, and peak deployment of five city plow trucks. He said some intersections remain hazardous and that the signal at 7th and Barkley was converted to a four‑way stop after it began blinking; he cited an estimated replacement cost of about $30,000 and said the city will prioritize other traffic-signal investments where traffic volumes justify them.

Haman also noted the city has fewer roadway miles per resident than some suburban municipalities (about 400 residents per mile of roadway maintained), which increases maintenance workload relative to population. Staff said they will continue clearing remaining piles and alleyways and will return to routine hours as conditions stabilize.

What happens next: staff will complete remaining clearance tasks, coordinate continued trash and holiday pickup schedules affected by the storms, and provide follow-up information on signal repair costs and schedules.