Gardner MA Public Service Committee to Discuss Potential “Snow Problem” due to Staffing
The Committee will meet on Friday, December 15, 2023 at 8am at the DPW Office at 50 Manca Drive. Among the items on the agenda (Complete agenda click here) is a letter from DPW Dane Arnold to the Mayor and City Council regarding Winter 2023 – 2024. See complete letter, CLICK HERE. Dane Arnold writes, “ In July, I wrote a letter regarding the staffing levels and salaries of the Department of Public Works. I stressed the importance of increasing the DPW’s salaries to try and encourage new hires with commercial drivers and hydraulic licenses to come work for the City. We have not hired one applicant with such licenses in years. Out of the 25 existing positions in the DPW, 6 have been vacant for months, and in some cases, years. By the winter of this year, we will also be losing two (2) long-term employees with CDL’s and Hydraulic licenses to retirement. That will mean once again 1/3 of our positions are vacant. The low staffing level is directly related to the low salaries of the DPW Employees.” Publisher’s Note: A city-wide salary survey is currently in process, but results have not yet been released. Results were originally expected in August 2023 – See Finance Committee meeting of January 2023, CLICK HERE.
Director Arnold writes on the issue of Snow problems to come this winter: “For the winter of 2023 – 2024, there will be streets that WILL NOT have a plow truck covering the neighborhood. If the City receives a long-term snow event, snow may remain in the streets for many hours or even days depending on the duration of the storm before we will be able to remove it. With the shortage of staff, the drivers will do their best, but may not be able to complete plowing of the city. After working 30-40 hours straight, they will have to go home to sleep and recover. The snow will remain on the streets. This will also mean sidewalks will not be cleared for days after a storm depending on the amount and duration of the storm.”
Arnold concludes that outside contractors won’t fill the gap stating, “The City was also unable to hire contractors to plow our parking lots or streets because our rates are too low and not competitive with other communities and the State. As of now, parking lots will not be cleared during snow events until after the streets are cleared. This includes City Hall, Police parking lot, Senior Center, all public parking areas, and the library.”
Also at the upcoming meeting: Dane Arnold, DPW Director in person on Public Works – Sewer – Water, Rob Oliva, City Engineer on Survey and Engineering, and Trevor Beauregard regarding the Conservation Commission.