(Spirit Lake)– While there currently is no snow on the ground, concern over removal from the first, and so far only snowfall of the season was a topic of discussion at Tuesday’s Spirit Lake city council meeting.
Councilman Jerry Harbst said he saw several streets that had not been plowed curb-to-curb, adding that if that continues, it could lead to a problem with narrow streets later on in the winter…similar to a year ago. Public Works Director Dwight Dohlman responded by saying some new plow operators are in the process of being trained and that the issue is being addressed with them.
Another councilman, Steve Balm, said some of the problem is with vehicles parked in the street when crews are trying to plow. While the city has been fairly lenient in the past in issuing tickets to those who leave vehicles on the street during snow emergencies, councilman Clyde Ihrke said that could change if the problem persists…Click here for sound bite
Concern was also expressed over heavily compacted snow that was on many thoroughfares in the city for several days following the storm. Dohlman said the city will be experimenting with “belly” plows over the next couple of storms on atleast a couple of routes. “Belly” plows have blades that are mounted underneat a truck’s frame.
