VILLAS – For many towns, the Jan. 3 storm posed unfamiliar challenges when it came to snow removal. In Lower Township, the Public Works Department was left short-handed, as so many businesses have been, with the recent spike in Covid cases.
According to Mayor Frank Sippel, Public Works had “a significant number of employees out sick.” Sippel said the municipality requested assistance from the state, which responded by sending plow trucks.
Sippel asked members of the public to have patience and said the employees are working “extremely hard” in an emailed update Jan. 5. He did not respond to requests for comment for this article. Public Works Superintendent Gary Douglass also did not respond to an email asking for comment.