Mansfield Officials: We're Ready for Whatever Happens

Utility companies are distributing , the governor is and meteorologists are predicting anywhere from 3-5 inches of snow.

And it’s Oct. 29. 

In Mansfield, the town officials who help prepare the town’s roads, facilities and emergency operations plans before any storm are taking it in stride.

Fran Raiola, assistant emergency operations director for the town, said Friday that the department is in regular contact with its regional and state counterparts, receiving regular updates on everything from the weather to preparedness tips.

When asked whether he has any advice for residents to help prepare for this early snowfall, Raiola said that people should simply be smart when driving.

“The first snow is always a reminder for us to slow down and pay attention,” Raiola said.

From a public works perspective, town DPW Director Lon Hultgren said, “We’re always ready for the second storm of the season.”

Although Hultgren said this partially in jest, he added that the first storm, no matter when it hits, is normally a time when the kinks are worked out. The DPW plow and sand trucks will roll for the first time in months and the traveling public must become reacquainted with the necessary skills to drive in the snow.

All of the towns DPW trucks are ready to go, despite regular equipment winter maintenance checks not being scheduled to happen until mid-November. Hultgren expects that there will be some minor issues as the crew head out to the streets, but nothing that can’t be overcome, Hultgren said.

And there is enough sand and salt left over from last season to get through this first storm.

All in all, what this storm will really bring to the crew of the DPW is disappointment.

“We have a lot of other things we’re trying to finish before winter hits. Because of this weather we have to change our equipment all around to put the plows on. It’s just extra work. There will be snow in places where we’re trying to do drainage and paving work. It’s more of a headache because we won’t be able to get done some of the things we were hoping to,” Hultgren said.

“Hopefully it will go away and we'll be back to working again on the projects we want to finish up,” Hultgren said.