Norristown: Sorry, we had no snow plan

Days after 30 inches of snow fell upon Norristown, some streets remain covered with white.

That's because Norristown lacks snow emergency routes or mandated off-street parking plans during snowstorms, the council president wrote in an apology to residents.

"We heard your outcries, valid concerns, documented complaints, and have heard feasible suggests to assist us when the situation arises again," Council President Sonya D. Sanders wrote in a statement Thursday.

The borough of 35,000 is the seat of one of the state's wealthiest counties, and about 13,000 people work in the 3.5-square-mile town.

Work to clear side streets after the weekend storm began Monday afternoon. Many residents on small streets were stuck in the snow for days, as Norristown rushed to hire contractors to assist the municipality's nine snow plows with the cleanup.

Sanders said Norristown officials will work to improve emergency management plans, contract additional workers, and invest in equipment to handle future storms.

"The municipality was not fully prepared," Sanders wrote in her statement. "For that, I am sorry and accept responsibility, but Norristown government will improve our performance going forward."

lmccrystal@phillynews.com 610-313-8116 @Lmccrystal