SCRANTON — City council and some residents gave mixed reviews Tuesday about the plowing and removal of snow during the storm that dumped about 10.5 inches on the city Sunday into early Monday.

On Wednesday, the administration of Mayor Paige Gebhardt Cognetti told The Times-Tribune that the city’s snow plowing and removal response was hampered by “callouts” of over one-third of Department of Public Works employees on each of Monday and Tuesday, and some choosing not to work overtime shifts.

Scranton has 18 plow trucks in its fleet, at least 14 of which were available at all times during the storm, city Business Administrator Eileen Cipriani told the newspaper via email. Three mechanics also were on duty to address any mechanical issues and get the vehicles back on the road. The DPW has 34 drivers with commercial driver’s licenses, and the number of plows in operation was limited during the storm by the number of available personnel.

“The labor contract for DPW does not require mandatory overtime from its employees. Of roughly 90 personnel, DPW had 40 staff members call off on Monday and 33 staff members call off on Tuesday,” Cipriani said. “There has been limited participation in overtime shifts. We are grateful to the DPW staff members that have answered the call and gone above and beyond to keep our city safer.”

During council’s meeting Tuesday night, council members and some residents who spoke roundly praised the DPW for its efforts, but some noted some areas of the city seemed neglected, according to an Electric City Television simulcast and YouTube video of council’s meeting Tuesday.

Councilman Patrick Flynn said he did not see a plow truck on his street, North Washington Avenue in Green Ridge, until Monday at 6 a.m.

“We also must be honest about what residents experienced during this most-recent snowstorm. The response was night and day depending on where you lived. Some neighborhoods received excellent service while many others were barely plowed or not plowed at all,” Flynn said.

Council President Tom Schuster added, “Some areas gave DPW five stars and thumbs-up, but I think there’s still work to be done here.”

Resident Joan Hodowanitz said, “I think the DPW did a damn good job under the conditions they faced — single-digit temperatures, 9-plus inches of snow, bad timing. It just snowed all day long.”

Resident Mike Mancini added, “When winter storms hit, they (DPW employees) are the ones who turn long nights and dangerous roads into cleared streets and safe neighborhoods.”

Councilman Sean McAndrew, who did a ride-along with the DPW during the storm Sunday, said, “We had to get out of the truck to help a cop who was stuck, to push the car out … they (DPW) go above and beyond.”

Council members said they would pose numerous questions to the administration about the city’s preparation for the storm and response to it, both during the snowfall and in the days after, and how the city would prepare for the next storm.

“We knew the storm was coming. We knew it was going to be larger. Were we prepared for it? How are we going to do it next time?” Schuster said.

On Wednesday, The Times-Tribune posed similar questions to the administration.

Cipriani replied, “High snow totals over a long duration coupled with ongoing extreme temperatures present a challenge for immediate curb-to-curb snow removal. Some city neighborhoods have significant numbers of courts, alleys, steep hills, and narrow streets that complicate snow management.”

Cipriani continued: “The City has run continuous overtime shifts since 4 a.m. Sunday morning and has contracted out additional help since Monday. The City issued an Emergency Declaration prior to the storm so outside resource would be available to supplement city resources. The city has used four vendors to assist with snow removal. We continue to work with the SSD (Scranton School District) and COLTS (County of Lackawanna Transit System) to address issues, as well as take resident feedback through DPW Dispatch and 311,” which is a city hotline for residents to call.

The DPW director also rode along with the SSD’s bus company and district representatives to direct resources to problem areas along bus routes, as providing passable bus routes is a top priority; and the city directed resources to further clear roads in proximity to schools and along the bus routes, Cipriani said. Extreme low temperatures forecast for the rest of the week also can impact school district operations, Cipriani said.

Snow removed by crews from streets was trucked to city property along Broadway, she said.

Starting this year, the administration has been posting on the city website detailed answers to various questions posed by council members during their weekly meetings.

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A view of Olive St. in Scranton’s Hill Section Wednesday, January 28, 2026. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)

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Hill Section resident Steve Corbett shovels the sidewalk that was covered with snow from the plow trucks near his house in Scranton Wednesday, January 28, 2026. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)

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A view of Olive St. in Scranton’s Hill Section Wednesday, January 28, 2026. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)

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A resident of Scranton’s Hill Section shovels his car out in front of his home on N. Irving Ave. Wednesday, January 28, 2026. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)

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A view of Olive St. in Scranton’s Hill Section Wednesday, January 28, 2026. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)

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