Shannon Mullen

@MullenAPP

LAKEWOOD - A “large percentage” of unionized public works employees failed to show up for work during the weekend’s snowstorm, leaving snow plows sitting idle and snowbound residents and business owners fuming about the sluggish cleanup.

The no-shows have landed the public works director, Alvin Burdge, in the hot seat. An online petition drive seeking Burdge’s ouster was launched on change.org. Meanwhile, the township manager and township attorney were conducting interviews with employees to find out what happened.

“There are some personnel issues that are going to be resolved. We’re looking to do it quickly, but obviously it has to be done properly,” Township Committeeman Meir Lichtenstein said Monday.

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With the township buried in more than a foot of snow, the lack of manpower forced the township to hire private contractors to clear the streets, which could cost upward of $100,000 or more, Lichtenstein estimated.

Burge could not be reached for comment Monday. Township Committeeman Raymond Coles, the governing body's liaison to the Public Works Department, said Burdge was home sick over the weekend and was at a doctor's appointment today. "He sounded horrible. I thought he might have pneumonia," Coles said. Coles said he believed the absences might have been due to "a miscommunication."

Lichtenstein said there were fewer absences Monday but still more than usual. The workers in question are members of Teamsters Local 97, which has recently been involved in contract talks with the township, Lichtenstein said.

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“I don’t know if it was a work action. There was a large percentage of people that did not show up, and the attorney (and) manager are looking into what happened and what was the cause of that,” he said.

Lichtenstein spent much of the storm with other township officials and emergency volunteers in the township’s newly upgraded Office of Emergency Management facility on Pine Street.

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Frustrations rose when it became clear that “a large percentage” of DPW workers failed to report to work, he said.

“I could see five or six or seven pieces of equipment sitting idly when we could have easily have had people out there doing work,” Lichtenstein said.

Lichtenstein said that as of midday Monday plows had reached virtually all township-owned roads, though he added that there were sections of town that needed a second pass. Numerous residents who said their streets remained impassable took to social media to plead for a snow plow or vent their anger.

"Half of Kelm Woods in Westgate not touched by plow. Plow stopped half way down the block and left," read one post early Monday on the Lakewood Scoop, a local news site.

Ellen Garfunkle, whose family owns GAR Products, a seating and table top manufacturer, said driving conditions in the Lakewood Industrial Park were horrendous Monday.

“Turning onto Lehigh Avenue was like being in bumper cars,” she wrote in an email to the Asbury Park Press.

“The streets were not plowed. Tractor trailers were stuck. Cars were plowing into each other. Orthodox young men had no place to walk and were an accident waiting to happen,” she recounted.

“Not one truck has been able to come into our factory for a pick up. Who will compensate us for loss of revenue? Who will compensate us for jeopardizing the well-being of good workers just trying to come to work?” she asked. “It's disgraceful.”

Coles said he understands that people are disappointed with the township's response to the storm. However, he added, "the way the (snow) came down, even with a full complement of people we still would have had issues out there today. It was a monster storm. It wasn’t a normal blizzard."

Shannon Mullen: 732-643-4278; smullen4@gannettnj.com