What does it take for our community to recover from one of the largest snowstorms in years? According to Justin De Marco, Director of Public Works, it took 25 pieces of equipment, including 15 contractors, and 50 hours straight to clear the roads and then another two weeks to clear all the sidewalks and lower the mounds of snow so drivers and pedestrians can see over them.

Maynard budgeted $117,000 for snow and ice removal at last spring’s Town Meeting – but we normally spend between $400 to $500,000 on snow and ice removal every year.  While the Commonwealth has rigid laws about towns spending money we don’t have, they make an exception for snow and ice because they don’t want unused funds sitting in our towns coffers. 

Where does the money go? According to Justin, 70 to 80% of our funds for snow and ice removal go to our de-icing program.  Maynard has 83 miles of roads that have to be maintained as well as 30 miles of sidewalks and a few parking lots. The de-icing program is done by seven town staff with six town vehicles.

While the town has some sophisticated equipment to do this work, some of the equipment is old and in need of replacing making the work take longer and more difficult. The snow that fell three weeks ago was light and easy to shovel, but when it got pushed into snowbanks and tramped down on the sidewalks, it made it very difficult to clean up. The downtown sidewalks took 25 hours and 22 pieces of equipment to make them passable. 

Our average amount of de-icing material for the last five years is 2,000 tons a year.  Because 80% of our stormwater goes into the Assabet river, we have to be very conscious of the environmental impact. Couple that with DPW’s primary goal of public safety – for everyone but with special focus for students at the schools and the elderly – and we can see how complicated this work is. The town uses a blend of sodium chloride and magnesium for de-icing. Magnesium is important for two reasons: first, it reduces the freezing point so even on very cold days the roads are clear of ice, and secondly, for the environment, it means we need to use less salt.

None of us probably think or care much about the ice and snow until it affects us. DPW does think about it, plans for it and then focuses on public safety and the quality of their work to keep our roads and sidewalks clear, with the limited resources at their disposal. I think a round of applause is appropriate to all the people doing this exhausting work for us in Maynard. Thank you DPW and especially to the drivers and workers!