Snowstorm Cleanup May Take Until Mid-January

Despite hiring two contractors to help pick up the debris from the October snowstorm, township officials say the job won't be completed for another four weeks or so.

"This has been a pretty dramatic project, and we apprecate the residents' patience," Mayor Gary DiNardo said at the Dec. 8 Township Committee meeting, during a review of progress on the work.

Township Administrator Mark Krane said 123 of the township's 338 streets had been cleared as of Dec. 8. The two contracted crews—from J&M Landscaping Services and Predator Tree Service—are expected to be working through the end of this week.

The crews, as well as township DPW workers, are clearing debris from streets working "from the outside in," according to Mayor DiNardo, and while the crew are working from a map, the township can't schedule specific times for streets to be cleared.

Barring too many days of rain or snow, which prohibits grinding the branches, Mayor DiNardo said the work should be done by the middle of January.

Residents may receive a reverse 9-1-1 call from the township advising them of the status of the cleanup.

Krane said the township will apply for disaster relief from FEMA to recover some of the cleanup costs.