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Street Maintenance

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1. Where can I get winter sand?

The city has three locations for residents to pick up sand for the winter. It is requested that residents only take two 5 gallon pails at a time. Sand may be picked up at the entrance to Abbott Road Material Storage Site (no specific hours), the Transfer Station at 77 Old Turnpike Road (Monday through Saturday, 8:00am to 4:00pm), and the Wastewater Treatment Plant at 125 Hall Street (Monday through Friday, 7:30am to 3:00pm). We will maintain sufficient stockpiles at these locations throughout the winter months.

2. During inclement weather, how can I find out when my road will be cleared?

The city has established plowing priorities regarding the order in which roads are cleared. Please visit the link below that outlines the priority order for clearing snow and ice from roadways. Winter Operations Priorities

3. The snow plow has blocked my driveway. Can the plow come back to dig me out?

The purpose of plowing is to clear and treat the City streets. Unfortunately, plowing naturally pushes snow from the middle of the street to the side of the street and may pile up in front of driveways. This is not intentional, but is a result from plowing. Crews cannot plow out driveways, but a good tip to prevent the plow from blocking in your driveway is to place most of your snow on the right side of your driveway (when facing the street). This will allow less snow from your left to end up back in your driveway, and more snow on your right to be plowed away. We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your cooperation.

4. What do I do if I suspect I have a plugged sewer line?

Call the General Services Department and ask for the Sewer Systems Supervisor at 228-2737. He will first check our records to see if there is any history of problems with the sewer service. If the history shows past problems on the City side, we will come out and look into the matter. If the record shows that it is on private property, you would have to call a plumber. There also has to be an accessible cleanout to get our equipment into the line going out to the street, if not a plumber would have to open the service. The Sewer Crew will not alter plumbing on private property. If the problem is found to be on the owner’s side of the line they could be charged for overtime hours worked.

5. I have a permit for an event and road closures, where do I get barricades/cones?

You will need to submit a request for barricades and cones through the Citizen Request Tracker. Please have the party in charge of the event complete the Road Request form.

6. Will the City reimburse me for damages done to my car from running over a pothole?

The City does not reimburse for pothole damage unless the City was negligent in filling the pothole in a timely manner. Potholes are considered to be the normal consequence of the freeze/thaw cycles of New England weather. Once notified of a pothole, the Highway and Utilities Division is responsible for repairing it in a reasonable period of time (48 hours). To report potholes please use the Citizen Request Tracker