Utilities help cities dig out

MERIDEN, Conn. (WTNH) -- Power companies are lending a helping hand in the clean up effort around the state.

A parade of trucks is transitioning from corporate clean up to clearing the local downtown corner.

"Every resource you can scrounge up and just get them out there," said Larry Kendzior, Meriden City Manager.

Yankee Gas and Connecticut Light and Power are sending crews to Meriden, Hartford and Waterbury to help  those hard hit communities cope.

In all, 50 pieces of snow removal equipment, along with the three dozen workers to do the job.

"Especially for CL&P, the towns were a huge help in plowing the roads and allowing us to get to our equipment to make the repairs we needed to," said Theresa Gilbert, spokesperson CL&P/Yankee Gas, "and we are just really excited to be able to give back and work with the towns on this snow removal."

In Meriden there are 200 miles of road, and officials admit they still haven't gotten to everyone yet, a few roads remain unplowed.
 
The utilities are now freeing up municipal crews to get to those still blocked in streets.

"What are you telling those frustrated folks," asked News 8's Erin Cox.

"Find out where they are," said Kendzior, "and at this point we can get a crew out there, ya know, if not immediately within a few hours, so I'm pretty confident we will have every street done today."

This helps the town in two ways. One, of course, it gets rid of the snow, but second Meriden isn't paying for this. The utilities are covering the cost to have its workers here.

And the three cities will have the utility crews working with them again Wednesday.

"We're getting there," said Kendzior. "We are getting there, we are almost there."