Revere officials praise DPW response as residents weigh in after 20-inch snowstorm

By Barbara Taormina

Former Dept. of Public Works (DPW) director Ward 4 Councillor Paul Argenzio knows what goes into cleaning up Revere after a snowstorm. And the weekend storm, the first major winter event to hit greater Boston in years, was a tough one after dropping close to two feet on the Beach City.

“I think the DPW did a good job, the main roads are excellent,” said Argenzio, who added that the tricky thing about the storm was the duration. The city was blanketed with more than a foot of snow when there was a pause. Hours later, four or five more inches fell, refusing to give the plows a break.

Official weather watchers didn’t seem quite sure how much snow landed in Revere. Reports say between 20 and 22 inches.

Mayor Patrick Keefe agreed with Argenzio about the Public Works Department’s response to the storm. “Our entire snow operations team has done a terrific job, and the work is still ongoing, especially as we are keeping a close watch on Sunday’s weather. The heavy freeze has also not been cooperative, as there is very little melting: It’s estimated every day over 35 degrees can melt upwards of 4 inches of packed snow, and we have temperatures staying below freezing all week, so conditions are a major factor. This is far from its a one-day clean-up,” said Keefe in a statement to The Advocate.

According to Keefe, 69 plows hit the roads on Sunday at 11 a.m. and worked nonstop into Tuesday afternoon plowing and spreading 1,800 tons of salt. On Wednesday, heavy equipment began hauling snow to an offsite snow farm.

Argenzio said one of the biggest challenges is finding snow removal contractors with heavy equipment to handle a major storm. He also said it’s a problem when residents clean off their cars and dump that snow into the street.

Not all residents were impressed with the storm clean up. “Well, the plowing is as bad as usual,” posted John DeLuca on Facebook. “They make you park on one side of the street so they could plow to the curb on the other side, but they still only plow the center of the road. We ended up with one side filled with snow to the middle of the street and cars snowed in on opposite side. Where is the DPW chief on that?”

Debbie Caccaviello also had some complaints. “We have condo fees to cover plowing. My guy came at midnight to clear front of driveways and right behind him a city truck putting all the snow back,” posted Caccaviello.

Other residents posted that they hadn’t seen a plow on their street all day Sunday. “Unfortunately, the drivers need to prioritize the main streets,” said Argenzio.

Other posts on Facebook were more understanding. “It’s far from an easy job. This was a crazy storm. It’s been a long time that we have seen these totals,” wrote Frank Castiello.

Ward 5 Councillor Angela Guarino-Sawaya had nothing but praise for city workers. “The DPW did a fantastic job,” she said. “Those guys didn’t go home for 48 hours. They were exhausted.”

Guarino-Sawaya said she had a list of about 15 residents who needed extra help clearing their homes. She said DPW crews got to those residents as soon as they could. She also said public works crews responded quickly to her request to clear school bus stops so children would be safe returning to school.

Guarino-Sawaya and Councillor-at-Large Robert Haas have been working to replace the Snow Angels program, which matched teens with seniors and disabled residents who need help shoveling. They plan to restart a program with Revere High students.

And none too soon since another storm is expected this weekend. Keefe had a few reminders for residents about the incoming storm.

“If I can remind everyone of one thing, it’s that this is a collaborative effort, and you have to be patient,” said Keefe. “Avoid shoveling your snow into the street, clear out fire hydrants and sidewalks, and help your neighbors where you can. A best practice is to stay off the roads unless it’s absolutely necessary when we are working with that much equipment. We are here to help and will address each call as they come in and prioritize until the work is completed.”