by Logan Gruber
operations@thenewsleaders.com
The city of Sauk Rapids currently employs 15 staff members in the public works and utilities 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 Pete Eckhoff. “Overtime is limited, so we have to really time when we head out . . . but public safety is first. That ambulance might be headed to your house.”
For the snow event on Nov. 30-Dec. 1, the department plowed until 7 p.m. Nov. 30, then went home and came back out again at 2 a.m. to prepare for the morning rush.
“Sometimes we get complaints, but some residents also call in to show their appreciation,” Eckhoff said. “We actually received some compliments after the last snow.”
He said if the crew is prepared for an event, they can have the first truck out the door in about 15 minutes or so.
“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,” Eckhoff noted. “It’s stressful sitting at home, but once you’re in motion it’s a relief . . . and once we’re done plowing the city, we have our own homes to take care of.”
Eckhoff said city parks and sidewalks take six or seven hours to clean up.
He also said they cooperate a bit with the county and state in regard to plowing. Plows won’t stop exactly at the line between the two, they will generally continue until they can find a safe space to turn around.
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.
“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,” Eckhoff noted. “And garbage cans should be at the end of the driveway on Tuesdays, 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.”
Eckhoff 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,” Eckhoff 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.
He also said many people don’t want snow from the street placed on their lawn. But in many places the public right-of-way is about 10 feet back from the curb, Eckhoff said.
Eckhoff 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,” he 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,” Eckhoff 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.
Also, remember to allow yourself more time to get to work or wherever you might be going during a snow event. Eckhoff said people always seem to be in a rush during snow.
Pete Eckhoff, director of public works for the city of Sauk Rapids, shows off one of his favorite plow trucks currently sitting in the public works building. His entire public works team must mobilize for any significant snow.
