White powder, red ink
Brick anticipates
massive blizzard cleanup costs will run at least $250K
By Karl Vilacoba
Staff Writer

MIKE JONES Tyler Scioscio gets a ride behind Bridget, Henry and Spot along Breton Road during some of the heaviest snow Monday.

Brick residents will spend the next few days clearing their driveways of the worst snow accumulation since 1996. Meanwhile, officials are preparing to dig into the township’s purse to pay for the massive cost of cleaning up the roads.

Brick Business Administrator Scott MacFadden estimated Tuesday that the total cost associated with plowing Brick’s some 1,600 roads will run "$250,000. Probably more, all told."

The Presidents Day blizzard of 2003 could cause trouble come budget time for Brick, which MacFadden said has spent only $50,000 on average for snow removal over the last few years.

"We were struggling to cut the budget to begin with. Now you’re looking at adding another $200,000 or more," he said.

MacFadden also placed total costs for snow removal in Brick so far this winter at about $500,000.

The blizzard managed to disrupt virtually every aspect of local life. Schools and nonemergency township offices were closed Tuesday, and public meetings were canceled. Garbage collection was suspended and may not resume until next week.

Most local estimates placed total accumulation in the 2-foot range. The National Weather Service’s Web site reported a measurement of 23 inches in Manchester by Monday afternoon.

On Monday night, Route 70’s long line of strip malls and retail stores were dark. Only the 7-Eleven at the intersection of Chambers Bridge Road and Route 70 bustled with vehicles other than snowplows.

Store clerk Al Paden, 35, of Brick said the store was steady with customers looking to pick up emergency odds and ends.

"All of our milk and eggs are gone. Look," Paden said, pointing toward a refrigerated display case in the aisle, "the shelves are all empty."

At 9:30 p.m., Route 70 was plowed to a passable degree, with a layer of snow concealing any sign of asphalt. Other major streets, such as Herbertsville Road (County Route 549), were worse. Tire ruts carved a trail between cluttered banks of snow along the road, and giant drifts covered parked vehicles up to their windshields.

"With a four-wheel-drive truck, it’s much safer and easier," William Wimmer, 25, of Manasquan said during a stop at the 7-Eleven. "But overall, I think this storm was a treat to winter-loving people everywhere who haven’t seen anything like this in years."

Others were less thrilled by the storm’s fruits.

The Brick Township Police Department was inundated with a high volume of calls by residents who complained that their roads remained unplowed, Lt. Douglas Kinney said Tuesday morning.

"My street hasn’t been plowed either, so I know how they feel," Kinney said. "As a last resort, many people are calling the traffic and safety office to report these problems and ask for help."

Other calls to police included reports of cars towing snowboarders down the streets, and cars trapped in snowbanks.

Kinney said the vast majority of Brick residents stayed off the roads, so there were no major traffic-related problems to report. But with the storm over, he suspected that could change as more people would take their chances driving again.

"There’s no way to be prepared for something like this," MacFadden said. "Unfortunately, sometimes people have unrealistic expectations on how we can handle a storm of this caliber."

MacFadden stressed that the township was "sparing no expense" in its efforts to clear the snow. There are systems in place to handle individual emergencies, such as the need to fill prescriptions or medical problems, he said. In such cases, MacFadden urged residents to call the police.

Updates on cancellations, public announcements and other storm-related messages are being posted in real time on Brick’s public access station B-20.

"We ask people to be patient and understanding. We’ve been working round the clock and using all of our resources to the best of our ability," MacFadden said.