Township Hopes Streets Will Be Plowed by Wednesday Morning

Crews made slow progress clearing snow off Brick's roads Tuesday, but officials hope plows will reach every street in town by morning Wednesday.

"We're reaching out every place we can conceivably go to bring people in to clean up what has been an epic storm," Mayor Stephen C. Acropolis told Patch Tuesday evening.

Acropolis said crews have been brought in from as far away as Pennsylvania to help with the cleanup effort.

"The pieces of equipment that we're getting now are nothing but tandems and front loaders," said Acropolis.

Contractors from outside the local area are also being utilized by other communities, including Toms River, Acropolis said. Contractors the township had on call before the storm hit primarily operated pickup trucks, which cannot handle the weight of the 34 inches of snow that fell throughout the town. Pickup trucks operated by Brick's own public works department became disabled in the early morning hours on Monday, leaving just 15 tandem trucks to clear every street in Brick.

Rumors swirled Tuesday morning that some public works employees intentionally called out sick in protest of past and potential future layoffs in the department. Acropolis said 11 employees called out Tuesday, more than the average of four or five, but he didn't assume it was because of any sort of protest.

Acropolis estimated about 70 percent of township streets had been cleared by 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, just a tad more than the 65 percent of streets he estimated were cleared Tuesday morning. Slow-going operations in several areas of the township, especially in the barrier island section, hampered snow removal efforts as the day went on, he said. The closure of Route 35 also prevented some trucks from being able to get from one area of the township to another. The mayor said crews will work through the night Tuesday and hopefully cover the entire township by morning Wednesday.

"I wish I could wave a magic wand and fix it, but it just doesn't work that way," Acropolis said, continuing to urge residents to be patient. "If Brick was the only town in Ocean County or Monmouth County, it would be one thing, but it's a massive storm that the entire state of New Jersey is dealing with."

Further complicating things during much of Tuesday were some 250 to 300 abandoned vehicles left on township roadways. Brick Police Capt. John Rein said police began towing abandoned vehicles as they were discovered.

Acropolis said he spoke with the mayors of other area communities Tuesday and many were experiencing the same issues Brick has been dealing with. He said he stands by his stance that purchasing a fleet of extra tandem vehicles to keep on hand for "50 year storms" is not fiscally responsible.

"I understand people are mad, but it's not just here [in Brick]," the mayor said. "My job is to stay calm, direct personnel, direct township assets and keep residents safe. We're gonna get peoples' roads cleared."

Hundreds of Brick residents vented their frustration over unplowed streets at Brick Patch throughout the day Tuesday.

"I am safe at home with my family but I fear for those with health problems and the elderly," said a poster who identified himself as Ron Mammano. "This is becoming genuinely unsafe."

Other posters celebrated the sweet sight of a plow coming down their street.

"I live on 18th Ave. and it was plowed," said a poster named Gina. "Finally!!!"

A resident from Duquesne Boulevard also reported his street has been plowed.

Patch encourages readers to continue posting updates as the cleanup continues.