by Logan Gruber
operations@thenewsleaders.com
The city of St. Joseph currently employs eight staff members in the public works department. Every one of them is called out during a snow event to plow, blow and spread.
“In a big snow event, we try to keep the main streets clear,” said Public Works Director Terry Thene. “Overtime is limited, so we have to really time when we head out . . . people expect more from the city these days, which is fine, but when we get ice, slush and snow, clean-up won’t be immediate.”
After the snow event on Nov. 30-Dec. 1, the department didn’t receive a single complaint.
“Sometimes we get complaints, but some residents also call in to show their appreciation,” Thene said.
Thene has been plowing for nearly 30 years for various cities.
“When it snows, I’m up every couple of hours checking the weather. We watch the weather closely to make the best call on when to come out,” Thene said. “And once we’re done plowing the city, we have our own homes to take care of.”
He said they cooperate a bit with the county in regard to plowing. Plows from either the city or county won’t stop exactly at the line between the two, they will generally continue until they can find a safe space to turn around.
Thene said with the turnback of Minnesota Street to the city, plow times really won’t be affected since the city plowed most of the street anyway.
Resident tips
Residents have 24 hours to clear their sidewalks after a snow event. If that doesn’t happen, it’s the police who come talk to the property owner. Usually people will clear the snow after police chat with them once, Thene said.
“If people throw their snow onto the street and we see it, we notify the police who will tell the property owner to move the snow back onto their own property,” Thene said. “And garbage cans on Thursdays should be at the end of the driveway, not on the street so the plow can get all the way to the gutter. This should be done all the time as well, not just on snowy days.”
Thene said he and his crew have actually observed people step out of their driveway to force a plow truck further out in the road so they don’t get snow in their driveway.
“That is extremely dangerous,” Thene said.
If you don’t want a big pile of snow in your driveway, he suggests not shoveling until the plow passes on your side of the road twice. The snow in the driveway will prevent a large buildup of snow, as the snow doesn’t have a big empty space it can pile into.
Thene also asks people who are driving and parking downtown to pay attention to the windrows – or piles – made in the middle of the street.
“There isn’t any place to put snow on the side of the street downtown, so we advise people not to park on the street downtown while the windrow is there,” Thene said. “Normally they are cleaned up within a day.”
Driving tips
“We really do not want people to get too close to the plow trucks,” Thene said.
He noted you never know when the salter/sander will kick in, which could cause damage to a vehicle. He also said, depending on the road, a manhole cover could stick up or some other obstruction could be in the road and stop a plow dead in its tracks. He recommends staying 100 feet back from a plow truck as a good rule of thumb.
In a similar vein, if a plow truck has their plow at an angle, it’s best not to pass them as the truck could easily get pushed over a lane if the plow blade hits a patch of thick ice or some other obstruction.
Terry Thene, public works director for the city of St. Joseph, heads out to plow during every snowstorm. His entire public works team must mobilize for any significant snow.
