I read your article in amazement. Our street (S. Bannock Dr.) finally received a quick pass this last storm (Jan. 14th?) but I can assure you we never had even one snowplow down our street after any of the 3 large storms. I had to park down the street in a friend’s driveway and walk the block up the hill to my house with my school-age children in tow lugging food and backpacks. My mother lives on the 1300 block of S. Briarwood Ave. and they had a front-end loader push the snow in a mound on one side of her cul-de-sac but the street along the whole subdivision (1300’s to 1500’s) has never been plowed. I drove from my work to Bemis to pick up my children one night and I would be shocked if anyone could show that those streets west of the library had been plowed. While I don’t expect perfectly clear, dry street and understand the prohibitive cost I see no reason to state such an obvious exaggeration or conclude with your sarcastic comments about heated streets.

Sincerely,

Julie Liggett

I believe that the initial response was very good and deserved the kudos. I was not specific in that regard and apologize.

Now that we have lived with the weather and accumulation for 6 weeks, I would write a new article regarding the residential cleanup that hasn’t happened.

The crews are not at fault. They will plow what they are told to plow.

The city policy should include cleanup priorities after the initial storms. The first response work is over for now and I am sure that Charlie Blosten and his staff have the experience to increase the cleared areas. The question is whether the city manager will provide the funding necessary to do the work.

Contact your council members to recommend increasing the funding for residential snow moving (not removal) and ask them to see the written policies for street clearing.

Thanks again for your response. For all our sakes, I hope that the solar snow removal process speeds up.

Jack Randall

NO way did they plow my street (nor some other ones I’ve seen in the south side of town) twice. I believe they did a fast plow early on to push the top layer of snow to the side of the road — a rapid plow down the middle with the blade not scrapping all the way down. This did push some snow off to the side, but left a large amount on the street that got hard and created more problems. IF they had gone slower, and scrapped all the way down they could have created one lane that did not have big ups and downs.

I also disagree with the city policy of not plowing cul de sac not street that dead end. I understand the city does not want to take the time nor get a plow stuck; however, many such streets have large turn around areas and some even have a circle. These people pay the same taxes as others and should have their street plowed also. Maybe the city could comes back and plows these street after others, but at least plow them sometime.

Another item is “when are they done?” There are still some streets that “even tho the city plowed them twice” look like they have never been plowed and deserve some attention. It does not appear that they will ever get it.

It’s fun to watch the clearing of the sidewalks — along Jamison street. The home owners clears one side — the side people walk on — then a few days later the city clears the other side that people do not walk on. Three different groups clear the walk around the park — because of the way they do it, often one group will cover what another group cleared. Fun to watch.

Keep up the good work!