Last winter’s paralyzing snow season inspired Committeeman Meir Lichtenstein to rethink the cleanup response before this season hits, he said.

Lichtenstein, liaison to the Office of Emergency Management, and Mayor Menashe Miller have instituted a system that will hopefully improve services to residents as well as make it easier for public works employees during heavy snowfalls.

The township has started a new alert system so residents can receive calls, emails or texts about emergent matters involving the entire township or just sections of the township.

Anyone can receive the alerts by signing up on the township’s website.

For example, if someone wants to know about what is going on in the industrial park, they can receive information about just that, Lichtenstein said.

The alert categories include for emergency alerts, traffic alerts, weather, requests for proposals, township events, power outage updates, school closings and Department of Public Works updates.

Lichtenstein said that while people can sign up for telephone messages, “be aware that their phones will ring when the alerts are sent out,” he said.

Electronic messages such as emails and texts may work best, he said.

The town is also preparing to put into action what it learned from last winter, Lichtenstein said.

Certain neighborhoods were difficult for the public works trucks to maneuver, and the township is considering using contractors for snow removal companies in order to free up the township to focus on other municipal roads, Lichtenstein said. Under possible consideration are West Gate except Hillside Avenue, Chateau Park, Regency Estates, Elmwood Village, Lakewood Commons, Sterling Forest, Sterling Place and Lakeview Place.

In such cases, private contractors may deliver a faster and more financially efficient cleanup, Lichtenstein said.

The town is also assembling a list of people available and certified to drive snowplows, he said.

The plan been approved by the municipal workers’ union, the township insurance company, and has received approval from the township attorney’s office, Lichtenstein said.

“Last year we had equipment that was ready to go,” but the manpower was not available because the public works employees had worked continuously to clear massive amounts of snow and had to rest, Lichtenstein said.

“We want to prequalify people to operate our equipment or their own equipment,” Lichtenstein said.

A dedicated plow will be on hand to clear paths for firehouses and first-aid buildings and to be on hand to assist emergency response workers from those entities, Lichtenstein said.

Any private companies or individual snow plowers who would like to be considered should obtain an application from Michael Muscillo, the Lakewood Township municipal manager, at the Lakewood municipal building, 231 Third St. Call 732-364-2500, ext. 5200, for further information.

Sign up for township alerts at www.lakewoodnj.gov/alerts.

(Source: APP)