City news: Concord prepares to handle winter weather

Concord General Services has its winter equipment ready to go.
Concord General Services has its winter equipment ready to go.
The city has acquired a new 10-wheel dump truck with plow attachments for winter snow removal at the Concord Municipal Airport.
The city has acquired a new 10-wheel dump truck with plow attachments for winter snow removal at the Concord Municipal Airport.
The Concord Police participated in a program to help Friends of Forgotten Children called “Christmas Stars.”
The Concord Police participated in a program to help Friends of Forgotten Children called “Christmas Stars.”

The city manager’s office sent out the City Manager’s Newsletter last Friday. The full newsletter can be found by going to concordnh.gov and clicking the “Newsletter” button. Here are some highlights:

Equipment ready for winter operations

Concord recently received its first accumulation of snow for the season and more snow is in the forecast.

There are approximately 38 trucks city-wide (27 for General Services) that get equipped with plows and sanders for the winter season. This includes pick-up trucks to heavy-duty dump trucks. General Services trucks first require the removal and proper storage of leaf boxes from the dump body. Road crews from the Highway & Utilities Division complete this task and then install the sander by chaining it to the body. Mechanics from the Equipment Services Division then connect the hydraulics, lubricate the chains and spinner of the salt/sand spreader, replace any hydraulic lines if needed, complete a thorough maintenance check, and return the trucks over to Highway crews to install the plows.

In addition, there are six Bobcats and four trackless loaders that Equipment Services converts to sidewalk plows. The trackless loaders used for leaf collection require some additional steps, compared to the Bobcats, to remove the necessary components used for leaf collection. First, the dual-mounted double wheels are replaced with single-mounted winter tires. Then a hook crane is used to remove 800 lbs weights at the rear of the loader used for weight distribution when using the leaf loader attachment. Afterward, the drive shaft of the leaf loader attachment is disconnected and properly stored. A forklift is used to bring in the sander and plow, which is attached with the assistance of a hook crane. A new cutting edge is installed on the plow and a thorough maintenance check is performed which includes bleeding the hydraulic lines, adjusting the chains, and replacing any parts as necessary.

A lot of work goes into preparing for winter operations. It is not always realized that the same pieces of equipment used for bulk leaf collection are also used for winter operations, and that it takes several hours to a day and a half to transition one piece of equipment. This is why it is important to have time to complete this process after bulk leaf collection ends and before it starts snowing. General Services staff does an excellent job completing this work in time to be ready for the winter weather, and work continues through the season to keep the equipment well-maintained and operational.

New snow plow for Municipal Airport

The City of Concord has acquired a new 10-wheel dump truck with plow attachments for winter snow removal at the Concord Municipal Airport. This new piece of equipment will be replacing the former 10-wheel dump truck used at the airport dating back to 2000. This equipment was aging and required replacement to ensure continuous snow removal operations to keep the airport open and safe during inclement weather. The new equipment also has upgraded features including all-wheel drive and an automatic transmission. This will be easier to operate and will increase overall productivity compared to the older model that had a standard transmission and was more labor-intensive to operate.

The new equipment was delivered to Concord General Services’ Equipment Services Division this week for a full FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) inspection and final equipment preparations, including applying vehicle decals and installing FAA two-way communication radios to connect to air traffic control. This purchase was completed with funding from a FAA grant. The Public Properties Division is responsible for plowing the airport and had staff attend operator training on the new equipment, while mechanics from Equipment Services also received training on new maintenance techniques. The new snow plow will be at the Concord Municipal Airport soon just in time for the winter season! Watch our Snow Operations at Concord Municipal Airport video to learn more about winter maintenance at the airport and to see the plows in action!

City meetings

City meetings are held in person in Council Chambers at 37 Green St. (unless otherwise specified on the city’s calendar). Upcoming meetings include:

Zoning Board of Adjustment: Jan. 5, 7 p.m.

City Council monthly meeting: Jan. 10, 7 p.m.

Planning Board: Jan. 19, 7 p.m.

Holiday reminders

All City offices will be closed on Friday, Dec. 24, for the Christmas holiday and Friday, Dec. 31, for the New Year’s holiday. Trash and recycling collection will not be postponed during both of these weeks. Since the holidays occur on the weekend, collection will follow the regular schedule for the weeks of Dec. 20 and Dec. 27. The Concord Transfer Station will be closing at Noon on Friday, Dec. 24, and Friday, Dec. 31, and will be closed through 8 a.m. Monday both weeks. Happy holidays from the City of Concord. We hope you have a happy and healthy holiday season with family and friends.

LED streetlights

Real Term Energy’s subcontractor, Dagle Electric, has made great progress installing the new LED streetlights. To date, we have installed around 1,400 lights with another 600 to go. Most of the lights left to install will be on busy roads (e.g., Loudon Road, Centre Street, Manchester Street, etc.) so keep an eye out for the crews as you are driving around the City. Work is still on schedule to be completed in January.

Report a Concern with city app

Connect with the City of Concord using our MyConcordNH app. Reporting a concern is now easier than ever! If you see an issue (pothole, missed trash collection, illegal dumping, graffiti, damaged street sign, parking concern, snow plowing, and more), just open the app to submit a request and stay notified of the request status. This app will also quickly direct you to important City of Concord services and information. The app is available for both Android and Apple devices and can be downloaded on Google Play or the App Store.

You can also report a concern online using the “Report a Concern” button on the home page of the Concord website or by visiting concordnh.gov/seeclickfix.

Police Department participates in Holiday Stars Program

The Concord Police participated in a program to help Friends of Forgotten Children called “Christmas Stars.” This program afforded officers the opportunity to donate gifts to children for Christmas. Officers were able to grant the wishes of 40 children. A big thanks goes out to Officer John Zavala and Officer Kristy Spaulding for taking on this endeavor and organizing the collection of the gifts from their fellow officers.

Author: Insider Staff

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