So, the City wants to save money by not pre-treating our streets before winter weather hits. What has happened to the hearts and minds of the folks down at City Hall? This is South Dakota, the Northern Plains, the frozen tundra, the land of the blowing snow, one of the blizzard capitals of the Northern Plains.
Have you lost your collective minds? It’s winter, City Hall people. You have bought all this shiny new equipment and have a fleet of trucks for sanding and plowing operations. Now you don’t want to use all that equipment under the guise of the Mayor’s new efficiency plan for city government? Just how much do we taxpayers want to pay for this public service, you ask?
I thought winterizing streets and snowplowing was a basic city service. I guess under this Mayor it is considered a luxury. The previous Mayor understood this basic of city service and didn’t skimp on making sure citizen safety was put on the back burner to save money.
Mr. Event Center Mayor has decided he needs to save money and has directed his Street Division Manager to cut his snow budget. Now we are plowing streets or pre-treating streets other than emergency snow routes by complaint only?
Well, I suggest that every citizen who lives on a residential street other than an emergency snow route put the city street division number and the Mayor’s office number on their speed dial because they are going to be using those numbers a lot this winter.
If you live anyway near the outer city limits or near an open area, you are going to get drifts with the howling winds of winter. The piddley snow fall we got the other night came with 40 mile an hour winds. You should see the snow drifts piling up on some of the residential streets. But since there was 2 inches or less, no street plowing and no sand treating for your poor residential streets.
I am wondering since the city isn’t going to plow my street if I can get a bye on shoveling my sidewalk? They are quick to let homeowners know they have to clear their sidewalks or fines will ensue. Well, I would like to fine the City for their lamebrain 2010 winter snow policy.
With this well thought snow plowing policy, Their Man Mike and Clueless Darrinn Smith are making sure that they will be one and done in there new City Hall offices.
ReplyDeleteSnow removal and ice control are public safety issues. Imagine if they were cutting the same percentage out of police or fire in the name of being efficient. And really the odds of being harmed due to snow and ice in this city are a lot greater than fire or random violence. Not to mention those snow packed, rutted streets ought to look great for all those business execs that are supposedly going to be coming here to meet with the economic development team. Really reinforces the perception they already have of SD.
ReplyDeleteI could be wrong here, but I beleive the city policy is to not always plow the sidestreets if there is a minimal amount of snow on them. For those areas that drift in or when we have a heavy snow... yes they will still be plowed as always.
ReplyDeleteHowever for this first snowfall, many if not most of those streets have maybe an inch of snow on them - not worth plowing and not worth the cost to do so. If we get a six inch snowfall and the city still refuses to send out the plows then by all means call up and lodge a complaint. Until then, I'd rather not pay the overtime and suffer the additional wear and tear on our roads and equipment.
I sat out there for 8 hours waiting to sand streets on Friday.....we got nothing but there was all the department employees waiting to hit the roads if needed......
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