By Chad Neal
Some folks may not even realize the work that goes with taking care of the snow in a village. The crew at the Ellicottville DPW have an armada of snow removal vehicles and they utilize them all for the certain streets, sidewalks and parking lots in the village. Mark Chudy is the supervisor at the Department of Public Works and handles all day-to-day operations with his crew. There have been some comments about how well they maintain the snow compared to some other towns and villages. The Villager caught up with Chudy and got some insight about he and his crew operate the snow removal.
Chudy wrote in an email that they have “a winter fleet that consists of two plow trucks with sanders, one pickup with a plow, one sidewalk plow with three different blades which also has a snowblower and a salt spreader attachment. We also use a backhoe for removing snow and a mini-loader for loading sand and snow removal.”
The DPW takes their job seriously and are out there every time the snow covers the roads and sidewalks. It’s not a large crew but they get the job done, though it does take time. Chudy added, “The Village also maintains sidewalks out to Holiday Valley, HoliMont, Elk Creek and EllicottVillas on 242. Besides streets, we maintain alley ways and the majority of parking lots downtown including Town Hall, Town Center and the Fire Department.”
When we get pounded with the beautiful powder, lake effect and sleet, Ellciottville’s DPW gear up and go to work. “If the weather gets out of hand,” Chudy remarked, “two employees at the WWTP (waste water treatment plant) have two trucks with plows that can assist. When we get a break in the weather, we will maintain equipment and repair any equipment that needs attention. We will remove snow from Washington and Monroe and any piles that have built up from the storm. We haul snow to the Village Park and Fitzpatrick and Weller have allowed us to use their lot on Mill Street for many years.”
The plan going into the process is a ‘be ready for anything’ tactic. “Organization and maintenance of equipment is handled in house.” Chudy said explaining that they fix their own trucks and equipment with the knowledge of the crew and the tools they have on hand. “Trucks are fueled and filled with sand at the end of shift so we can begin as soon as the next shift starts.”
Sometimes it isn’t even noticed when the DPW workers are clearing the snow from the streets and sidewalks. One may hear the faint beeping of a backup alarm in the distance or see the truck or sidewalk plow drive by. They are always on the move when the snow falls. It’s not a secret that many people want to drive around in the sidewalk plow.
If you do see any of the fellas moving or removing snow during the winter season, give them a thumbs up, they make moving around manageable in our village.