The St. Joseph Department of Public Works says its staff has been busy responding to heavy snow over the past two weeks, something that’s been complicated by several factors.
Speaking to city commissioners this week, Public Works Director Greg Grothous said the winter storm right after Thanksgiving came at the worst possible time, as crews were busy preparing for the Light Up the Bluff celebration.
“It’s a juggling act,” Grothous said. “There’s things that didn’t get done in as timely a manner as they typically would. As a result, some things didn’t get done just because of equipment issues or whatever else. But it was a juggling act all week trying to handle it. Plus, we had smaller event after smaller event compounding things a little bit for us.”
Grothous said sidewalk-clearing efforts in some areas were slowed by a broken snowblower that’s now being repaired. His team had its work cut out for it.
“From Friday, November 28, right after Thanksgiving, through Wednesday, December 3, the public works team logged approximately 150 hours of overtime and used approximately 100 tons of salt. These hours account for four snowfall events and hauling snow out of the downtown, parking lots, and various locations around town.”
Grothous added that 150 hours figure is likely underreported because some workers came in overnight and took straight time instead of overtime.
Grothous reminded residents that major roads and school routes are cleared first and taken down to bare pavement, followed by neighborhood streets, alleys, and dead ends. Parks staff handle sidewalks downtown, parking lots, paths, and school sidewalk routes. He also emphasized that property owners are responsible for clearing snow and ice from sidewalks in front of their homes or businesses.
