The winter has brought the four-county region a mixed bag of sorts –– snow, rain, sun and in many cases, a savings in local government road maintenance costs.
Lewis Run Borough workers have used less salt and sand this winter and will be able to tap into that supply next winter, borough Secretary Joanna Caldwell told The Era on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, borough crews have focused on cold patching, but that’s the only spring work thus far, she said. The borough is holding off on street sweeping with the weather constantly fluctuating.
In neighboring Cameron County, the recent warm weather has prompted the Emporium borough maintenance department to begin several spring projects. Crew members have patched several potholes, cleaned out two catch basins and performed some street sweeping.
At a borough council meeting held earlier this week, streets crew foreman Ted Walters said the borough has cleaned up from 22 winter storms this year, which is about 10 storms fewer than typically seen up to this point.
Bradford City is the anomaly in at least some of the region.
City crews used more salt than last winter, though less salt was used than in the previous three winters, said Chip Comilla, director of the city’s public works.
“We’re still in winter mode,” saying the city has a wish-list that it hasn’t been able to focus on yet.
For Galeton Borough, crew members have been patching potholes, but beyond that, nothing major has been completed in the Potter County borough, said Galeton Borough secretary Andrea Caracciolo.
The borough has seen some cost savings in not having to plow as much –– about 100 tons of salt have been used this winter, compared to the usual amount of 150 tons, she said.
Meanwhile, Ridgway Borough Manager Paul McCurdy said he wasn’t sure how much has been saved on putting less salt and cinders on the borough’s roads.
And, although that has meant fewer plow trucks on the road, crew members have had to deal with water main breaks. He attributes those water main breaks to the thawing and freezing of the ground.
“We are enjoying the mild weather, less the water leaks,” he said.
The crew also used the snowless weather to demolish a dilapidated home on Rock Street. The work, part of the borough’s efforts to tackle blight, was completed last week.
“That’s probably our most visible project,” he said.
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(Era Correspondent Amanda Jones contributed to this story.)