IRVINGTON, NJ — Mayor Tony Vauss and Public Safety Director Tracy Bowers had good things to say about the township’s response to the snowstorm that hit town Wednesday, March 21.
It was the second time Gov. Phil Murphy declared a state of emergency across New Jersey, to keep residents safe until after the snowstorm had ended and to give service and cleanup providers time to complete the snow-removal effort. Vauss applauded Murphy’s actions, although he noted it didn’t offset the township’s expenses.
“We’re all good after the storm,” said Vauss on Thursday, March 22. “We got our crews out there and got the roads plowed and, right now, we’re down to blacktop on our streets. The governor declared a state of emergency and it helped a little, but we still have to pay for the snow removal, salt, cleanup and man hours.”
Vauss and Bowers had applauded the township’s response to the first big snowfall on Irvington on March 6 and 7; that snowstorm was accompanied by a rainstorm with high winds that the mayor said did more damage in town than the snow and cost much more to deal with, as well.
“I don’t have the official numbers, but it was quite bit. Gov. Phil Murphy did declare a state of emergency, so all of our snow-related expenses will be defrayed to a certain extent, but it’s only like 15 cents on the dollar,” said Vauss on Tuesday, March 13. “I’m very proud of our Department of Public Works. They did a great job, not only with the snow but with the storm we just had. We had almost 50 downed trees. We had trees on houses and all types of things. Our crew was out there and they were just slicing and dicing.”
The mayor said he doesn’t have an accurate measure for the amount of snow that fell on Irvington between March 6 and 7, or during a March 21 storm, but it was enough to warrant a first-rate response from the township’s emergency service providers. Bowers also praised his PSD personnel in the Irvington Police and Fire divisions for their work during both storms.
“Another storm event, where all township departments collaborated to deliver superior services to our residents, who are very deserving,” said Bowers on Tuesday, March 27.
Bowers also commended township and PSD and emergency service providers for their work handling the first big snowstorm of 2018.
“The coordinated efforts between the various departments allowed us to keep the roads (as) clear as possible, to respond to emergencies and storm-related events like downed trees and power lines,” said Bowers on Tuesday, March 13. “All in all, together we did a great job under the circumstances. We received many good compliments from citizens for our efforts.”
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