Town: We're Kind of Overwhelmed

There is a ton.

Business Administrator Michael Rogers pauses as he makes the statement, referring to the amount of snowstorm-related debris still in Morristown and in need of pick-up. "We're kind of overwhelmed," he said. "We have every personnel in DPW (Department of Public Works) working on that effort."

Rogers said, however, people need to be patient, as crews continue to work on a prioritized basis, starting with the most dangerous debris, and moving on down the line. "Patience is probably the scarcest resource right now," he said.

Early estimated overtime costs from the weekend are at about $17,000, Rogers said. The town is trying not incur additional overtime hours during the week, he said. The priority list has included trees blocking entrances to homes and the like, which Rogers said is almost completed. 

Next is the dealing with blocked roads, of which he said there were seven in Morristown as of Wednesday afternoon. "We had to wait for JCP&L to de-energeize lines before we could work in there. That is a priority today," Rogers said.

Town DPW head Jeff Hartke noted his crews have been "constantly scouting" roads since the storm. "Some people may think they're being neglected, but they're not," he said. 

Rogers said much of the town has had its power restored, however some still remain in the dark, notably the Manahan Village and Beverly Apartment complexes in the Second Ward. Broad restoration estimates coming from JCP&L still indicate some may not have their power restored until the end of the week.

However, communication with JCP&L on Wednesday had been pretty slim. "We're not really getting any updates as far as when certain parts of the county will be restored," Rogers said.