Yorktown Highway Super 'Survives' First Snow Storm on the Job

As Yorktown Highway Superintendent-elect David Paganelli was sworn into office on New Year's Day, he got to work right away. With little to no sleep, he was faced with having to deal with the first major snow storm of the season. 

"If you had to have a scenario over a three-day period to get your teeth on, this was the scenario," Paganelli said of the snow storm that hit the area on Jan. 2 and ended with an ice storm on Jan. 5. "I'm very pleased with the level of dedication everyone showed."

For his first major storm on the job, Paganelli said he began working at 4:15 a.m. on Jan. 2 and ended at 3 p.m. on Jan. 3. A total of 62 town employees (29 highway department employees, 4 refuse and recycling, 7 parks and recreation, 3 central garage, 10 water department and 9 sewer department employees) were mobilized.

There were 52 town vehicles out on the roads and employees used a total of 700 tons of salt. While Paganelli is tallying the final number of what the snow storm cost the town, the cost for the salt alone was $36,000.

"I was satisfied with the job," Paganelli said. "We have a great labor force. Everyone knows what they are doing."

Yet, there is always room for improvement, Paganelli said, and emphasized that communication is an essential part. 

Paganelli said he was experiencing mixed emotions – he was nervous and excited – as he was getting ready for the snow storm on New Year's Day. But everything turned out the way he expected.

"I knew things would go wrong, trucks would break and I would have to shift people," he said. "Unless you experience the hustle and bustle, you don't realize what goes into the snowstorm. It gives me a renewed respect for my predecessor and the job he did."

With a major snowstorm under his belt, Paganelli said he looks forward to summer and blacktopping the roads, which he said has a lot less variables.