Maturo: East Haven 'Working Very Hard' to Meet Expectations for 'Speedy Cleanup'

The following is a press release from the East Haven Mayor's Office.

Following the latest teleconference of Emergency Management and Municipal Leaders with Governor Malloy, Mayor Maturo provided the following update:

Work clearing secondary roads around Town has continued non-stop throughout the day and is slated to continue throughout the night.

Maturo explained, “I’d like to thank the residents of East Haven for their continued patience and resilience throughout the cleanup process.  I have received residents’ e-mails and calls, voicing both support and frustration with the cleanup effort.  We are all working very hard to meet residents’ expectations and requests for a speedy cleanup.  We have continued modifying our cleanup strategy in order to maximize the number of roads being cleared overnight tonight.  Two Public Service crews along with 7 private contractors are continuing to work on opening secondary roads with heavy equipment.”

Maturo continued, “Tomorrow we anticipate having 3 additional contractors to assist in these efforts, which will bring the total number of the crews with heavy equipment to 10. The immediate goal is to have every street opened to at least one lane of traffic by late Monday or Tuesday morning at the latest. The crews will then begin to return to these areas for our normal curb-to-curb plowing as time warrants.”

Town emergency responders, following the meeting, asked that the public be reminded that it is illegal for private contractors who are clearing residential driveways to push the snow into the roadway.  Maturo explained, “Doing such will only exasperate the situation and create further dangerous problems for emergency crews and regular vehicles alike.”

Earlier today, the Mayor along with Emergency Management Director, Fire Chief Douglas Jackson, requested assistance from the State with additional equipment in the form of pay loaders, heavy equipment and Humvees. Later in the day, the Town received a Humvee from the National Guard.

Maturo explained, “I would like to thank Governor Malloy for his quick response to this request and for attempting to give the municipalities as much support as the State can spare at this time.”

With the conditions of the roads and the expected possible icy conditions forecasted tomorrow the Mayor has announced the following closures:

• Town of East Haven Offices will be closed to the Public on Monday and non-essential employees will have the option to NOT report for work;
• All Town Offices will be CLOSED on Tuesday as scheduled for the Lincoln’s Birthday Holiday;
• All East Haven Schools will be CLOSED both Monday and Tuesday;
• East Haven Senior Center will be CLOSED both Monday and Tuesday;
• Hagaman Memorial Library will be CLOSED both Monday and Tuesday;
• There will be NO Trash or Recycling Pickup Monday, with an announcement tomorrow about the schedule for the remainder of the week.

Maturo also indicated that the Town will continue to offer snowbound residents the service of picking up their medical prescriptions in certain critical situations through the courtesy of a McDermott Auto Group vehicle and the National Guard’s Humvee.

These vehicles will also enable emergency response to any snowbound location. Residents who are snowbound and in dire need of their medication should contact 9-1-1 for this service. The Town will pick up the prescription at the pharmacy and deliver it to the resident’s door.

Maturo explained, “I assure residents that our Town personnel, aided by Private Contractors, are hard at work to open up Town roads as quickly as humanly possible.   Residents should continue to refrain from calling Public Services, Fire or Police to report snowplowing issues. However, residents should call 9-1-1 if there is a true emergency.”

Maturo concluded, “I will continue to use the Emergency Notification Call system as necessary to keep residents informed of important updates. For general updates, residents should continue to monitor the Town’s website (townofeasthavenct.org), Twitter, FaceBook or the New Haven Register and East Haven Patch websites on the Internet.”