Markeshia Ricks Photo
Barbarotta with Fontana at the EEOC trial run.
With the season’s first big snowstorm headed for New Haven, the city kicked into gear Wednesday to do a better job than last winter in clearing the streets.
The forecast for the Southeast Connecticut Coast beginning early Wednesday evening, continuing throughout the night and into Thursday, called for snow accumulation of between 8 and 14 inches, with pockets reaching 16 inches or more. It would be enough snow to severely impact travel, and cold temperatures would turn that accumulated snow to ice.
Don’t worry — that’s not the real forecast.
City officials Wednesday pretended that was the forecast. They gathered Wednesday morning at the subterranean Emergency Operations Center at 200 Orange St. for a trial run. They talked through the significant changes that have been made to the city’s snow clearing plan in preparation for another winter of record snowfalls. It is clear, everybody, including neighbors, has a role to play.
Click here to read about missteps in the city’s response to last winter’s punishing storms. Officials said they have been working since then to learn from mistakes and have a plan ready before the snow starts falling again for year.
Rick Fontana (pictured), deputy director of the EOC, said that winter storm warning of about 8 inches swings the plan into motion.
Under such a scenario, schools will be closed, and a parking ban will be issued and towing will be enforced.
“Parking bans will be issued a lot earlier than in the past,” Fontana said. “We can’t get snow off the streets if there are cars on the streets.”
Fontana said once a parking ban is issued, people will have about two hours to move their cars from snow routes, and from within 25 feet of an intersection, fire hydrants and bus stops. If you don’t move your car, you will be ticketed and towed. Period. (The city sent confusing signals on that score last winter.)
Joseph Barbarotta (pictured), executive director for facilities and for New Haven Public Schools (NHPS), said parking will be available at local schools when schools are officially closed, lots are cleared of snow and it has been communicated to the public. NHPS will work with the city to make sure that the information is communicated quickly, he said.
While all that’s happening 40 trucks — some owned by the Department of Public Works, some owned by contractors — will be at the ready for clearing streets.
“I don’t think in the history of New Haven, have we ever seen 40 trucks on the road,” Fontana said.
Chief Administrative Officer Michael Carter with Mayor Harp at the EEOC.
The city has nine new class-eight trucks, a new 10-foot snow blower and a trailer to blow it into so that it doesn’t just end up in your yard, but can be dumped. The heavy-duty class-eights will handle major snow routes, and the smaller F‑550 trucks with plows attached to the front will tackle smaller streets. The Department of Parks, Recreation and Trees will take care of clearing 108 dead end streets in the city, bus stops and park parking lots as needed for overflow parking.
Downtown streets will be priority No. 1 to make sure that access to the hospital and other services continue to be available. Martha Okafor, the city’s community services administrator, said that in the event of a significant storm like the one used to test the city’s plan, additional beds will be made available at homeless shelters. For those who don’t want to be sheltered there will be a warming station. Provisions also have been made to provide delivery of medication for the elderly, and assistance to the elderly with heat and clearing snow.
Mayor Toni Harp said she is excited for the first big storm so that the city can “kick the wheels” on its plan, “and roll it out.”
Harp said this is the first time in a long time that city officials sat down, put their heads together and came up with a plan to handle a major storm.
“This is really important,” she said of the run-through. “There have been a number of changes and departments need to know their role and how to relate with other departments.”
Fontana said he expects that this year’s response will be faster because the city has more resources to face a storm, as well as a plan for better communication with each other and with the community.
But the city needs the help of community members for the snow response to improve.
Starting Nov. 15, the city will be talking to residents about snowstorm preparedness. People will be urged to sign up for the Everbridge notification system through the city’s website. Door hangers with information about what residents will be expected to do if there is a major storm also will be distributed. People also have been receiving memos with their tax bills. People without Internet access can call 203 – 946-SNOW for storm updates. When the EOC is activated they can also call 203 – 946-8221 to report snow related problems.
The best thing people can do, Fontana said, is not wait.
“Don’t wait until there is snow on the ground to go to Home Depot,” he said.