CLEARFIELD – A major winter storm event dumped around two feet of snow on Clearfield after beginning Wednesday afternoon and lasting into Thursday morning.
On Thursday night, Clearfield Borough Council discussed the cleanup that followed the first major snow of the season.
Borough Operations Manager Leslie Stott reported that road crews were on duty for over 32 hours straight trying to clear roadways.
As of the meeting, Stott said that the primary roadways were drivable, and she commended the work done to get them passable in the morning. All that remained were the alleys for which there’s little access.
She also commended residents for clearing their walkways, but reminded that they must clear out around any fire hydrants in front of their home.
Stott said Wednesday’s snowfall totaled over 20 inches, the most the area has seen since 2003.
Also, at Thursday’s meeting, the fire department issued an equipment update. Fire Chief Justin Worley said only one truck was out of service.
To date in 2020, the department has responded to 225 calls, with many coming last night regarding stuck vehicles or roadside rescue efforts.
Worley noted that new radios were coming this week, with likelihood of being put into use at the beginning of the new year.
He said the truck, which is not in operation, needed more repairs, and Stott added that the department received CARES funding to assist with those costs. The borough will only be responsible for a small portion of the bill.
Worley did note that within the next couple years, council may want to consider replacing some of its fire equipment.
Assistant Police Chief Nathan Curry was in the holiday spirit, as he gave an update on this year’s Giving Tree for local senior citizens.
He said over $14,000 was donated towards helping seniors with costs for heating fuel and furnace repairs. He also said there were about 277 gift tags filled and many were gone within a matter of days.
Curry said over 100 additional tags were hung for many children who are being raised by their grandparents. In total, over 400 tags were filled, he said, making it one of the best years to date for the Giving Tree.
In other business, council:
- reported the final inspection for Sheetz was completed last week, and it received a passing grade. Currently, it’s being stocked with product, along with gasoline, and is set for reopening on Wednesday, Dec. 23.
- reported the borough continues to utilize its new fumigating sprayers to disinfect its offices, in addition to other cleaning efforts. Only two cases of COVID-19 were reported among borough employees to date.
- reminded residents that there’s no Christmas tree pickup this year.
- approved to fix the current tax rate, with no increase for the new year.
- approved to set the retirement pension at five percent.
- approved the switch from High Mark Blue Cross-Blue Shield to UPMC for health coverage, beginning in June 2021.
- approved public safety motions to dispose of used bulletproof vests and to sell old police radios to another neighboring fire department.
- approved public works motions to advertise for gas and diesel bids, along with to appoint Stiffler McGraw as engineer.
- approved a grant for new ramps at the skate park located at the Clearfield Driving Park.
- approved advertising to hire a part-time recycler to work just four hours every other Tuesday.
- approved for one police officer to attend crime scene training in Harrisburg.