By Cary Shuman
The sound of snowblowers and plows were heard throughout Everett on last Sunday and Monday
during the recent snowstorm.
front of Night Shift Brewing.
Mayor Robert Van Campen gave the Department of Works high marks for its efforts during the major storm which dumped 20 inches of snow on the city Sunday and Monday.
Van Campen said a snow emergency was declared for Sunday at 8 a.m. and remained in effect until Tuesday at 6 a.m. to allow DPW crews to clear the streets of snow.
As the snow began falling, Van Campen was in contact with Supt. of Schools William Hart, who made the decision to close Everett public schools Monday and Tuesday.
“We wanted to clear the sidewalks, so children don’t have to walk in the streets,” said Van Campen. “Also, we wanted to have more time to clear out the parking lots around the school buildings.”
Due to the closure of City Hall on Monday, the city council meeting was canceled and will be rescheduled, according to Council President Stephanie Smith.
During the height of the storm, Van Campen accompanied some of the DPW crews on their routes. “Under the circumstances, our Department of Public Works, our public safety (police and fire) departments – I think everyone did an incredible job,” said Van Campen.
The mayor said “the big issue” was vehicle owners not moving their cars from banned-parking areas during the snow emergency.
“We’ve had to tow almost 275 vehicles since Sunday morning,” reported Van Campen. “Those vehicles have been a big challenge for our DPW crews as they attempt to clear roads and allow roads to remain accessible. Towing cars is something we don’t want to do, but unfortunately in order for us to keep the city open, we have to. I want the city open for business fully (Tuesday), and the only way to do it is to push the snow off the roads.”
The snowstorm, which was well-predicted days in advance by local TV meteorologists, was the first totaling in excess of six inches in Greater Boston since Jan. 29, 2022. For Van Campen, it was an early test for his administration.
“Three weeks in and the mayoral gods sent me 20 inches of snow in the City of Everett,” jested Van Campen. “I’m just a player in this whole thing. The folks that get all the credit – public works, public safety, our city employees, 3-1-1, parking enforcement – they’re the folks that keep this thing running, and they did a great job.”
Ward 3 Councilor Anthony DiPierro praised the leadership of Mayor Van Campen and the efforts of city employees while noting the mayor’s middle-of-the-snowstorm visit to the ward amidst severe, wintry conditions.
“We have not seen a storm of this like in quite some time and our crews did the best they could to keep up with the rapid accumulation,” said DiPierro. “We are a small, dense city and it gets to a point where there is just nowhere to put it. I’m thankful to the administration, public works and facility employees, and emergency personnel for keeping our residents safe during the storm. I even received a surprise visit from Mayor Van Campen while he was checking on the neighborhood.”
Bob Knox is new
Everett DPW chief
In related news, Van Campen announced that Bob Knox will begin in his position as Everett director of public works on Monday, Feb. 2. Knox is a 32-year DPW professional, having served as director of the Malden DPW for 13 years and prior to that, five years as assistant director.