The Farmington Independent published an article about how the most recent 15″ snowstorm put a strain on the city’s resources due to overtime and lack of places to put removed snow.
From the article:
Farmington director of municipal services Todd Reiten said the plows first hit the streets at 1:30 p.m. Sunday.
But the snow kept falling. Plow drivers took a break from 9 p.m., Sunday until 3 a.m. Monday. They worked until 4 p.m. Monday afternoon, then went back out again at 3 a.m. Tuesday.
[...]
But the big snowfall caused a problem crews didn’t have earlier this winter. Apparently, city crews are running out of places to store the snow. Normally, the snow is piled up in the vacant lots alongside of Schmitz-Maki Arena, but with all the snow from before still in place, it’s getting tricky to put more there.
The article goes on to mention that a few calls were made by residents to ask about the plowing and road conditions but some were complaints about plows replacing snow removed from sidewalks by residents. Reader Mikeh noted on Twitter that, “Farmington was nearly done by 8am (Monday morning).”
However, other South Metro cities such as Apple Valley were definitely not caring for the roads like they should which may have been the reason why there were 3 minor-injury crashes and 15 property damage calls within the city’s boundaries. UpWithTheMooses was quite disappointed with Apple Valley’s plowing response when he noted, “C’mon, Apple Valley, plow those side streets. You’ve had plenty of time…”
What were the road conditions like in your neck of the woods? Do you feel that this year has been better or worse for snow plowing than previous years? While the snow has already melted due to the warmer temperatures, do you wonder if more cuts should be made elsewhere in the budget to make room for keeping the roads safe and passable? Whatever you have to say about the snow plowing this year go ahead and comment on as I’d love to hear what you have to say.
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February 25th, 2011 at 8:04 am
I feel for the cities, I really do. Their limited budgets are being stretched to the limit by a snowy year. This is one of those “no win” situations for them, because everyone wants their street plowed and quickly but nobody wants to pay for it. Furthermore, I’ve never driven a snow plow so I can’t fairly assess what they are up against.
That being said, I was pleased with Lakeville’s work, as I have been all winter.
February 25th, 2011 at 8:10 am
The roads weren’t too bad in 55016. The plows didn’t make it out until Monday at some point, in which they left a huge mess at the end of my driveway to clean out.
I haven’t seen there being issues to put snow down where I am, however my only miff is that when you have a heavy snowfall, not everyone has a huge plow truck, or dual stage 500HP V8 snowblower to mow thru the 16″ of gloppy compacted shit their blades leave up in your opening. I’d be willing to paying an extra few bucks per year to see that a crew can follow the plow trucks and dig out the mess they make at the end of your driveway.
Otherwise, I have a big SUV so, conditions of the road are rarely in issue for me to traverse, it’s just the hoards of idiotic lemming drivers that are too stupid see we still have 3 lanes on 494, not 1.5, even when it snows..
February 25th, 2011 at 8:30 am
To follow up a bit on that last comment, my only gripe with the city crews is that they scrape my residential street nearly down to the pavement, resulting in large deposits of heavy, wet snow in my driveway. Even front-wheel drives can handle driving through _some_ snow, so I would prefer the crew leaves something on the street and off the driveways. Maybe that’s not realistic, given how snowplows work, or the freeze-thaw cycle or something like that. But I feel that I’m getting “too much” snowplowing. (Note: I live on one of the major streets in the neighborhood, which is likely one factor.)
To paraphrase from a comment on this site made earlier this year, I’d (still) rather not have cities go to the expense of being prepared to handle 50-year snowfalls every year.
February 25th, 2011 at 8:42 am
Credit to Burnsville — since we’ve lived there (roughly 7-8 years) I have zero complaints about plowing. They do an excellent job.
February 25th, 2011 at 8:46 am
My street is always one of the last to get plowed in Apple Valley. I don’t complain, it is just a fact. They seem to have a set plowing pattern. I can always get out with my SUV. Some of our other cars are a problem though on the huge snow falls. I agree that the plows deposit a huge snow wall at the end of the driveway when they come through. My husband’s solution is to plow out into the street so it doesn’t end up being as much. It works! We have a nice snow blower and always help out our neighbors that don’t, especially with the end of the driveways.
February 25th, 2011 at 9:07 am
Eagan does a credible job every year. Actually, I think they sometimes plow too much. After plowing out from the storm on Monday, another couple of inches fell after most of us had cleared out the bottom of our drives. Then the plows came through one more time giving us more work to do when I think it would have been fine the way it was. Bastards.
February 25th, 2011 at 9:21 am
I have no complaints for the Apple Valley plow drivers. In fact, I think they’re amazingly efficient. The end of the driveway dump can’t be avoided.
We live in a part of AV that has sidewalks, and we live on a corner… so, with 340 feet of sidewalk to keep shoveled, plus the 50 foot double driveway it’s a good thing I’m retired. The only hard part is throwing the snow onto the piles that are now over my head, and I’m 6′-2″. But I enjoy playing in the snow.
February 25th, 2011 at 9:32 am
I’ve been pleasantly surprised with how well most cities have done this winter. Even with most bidgets at the breaking point, I haven’t encountered areas where I wasn’t able to drive easily after a reasonable amount of time allowed for cleanup. I do wish for the massive snowblowers to make a pass or two on some more heavily traveled streets but where would they put the snow, Texas?
February 25th, 2011 at 9:38 am
I have a permanent complaint with the power operators in my area, but it’s a personal thing. I see the way they plow and I feel that they do not try hard enough to limit the amount of snow they put in driveways and maximize the amount the put on shoulders. In fact it seems they do the opposite. But that is neither here nor there as dealing with that is life in the city.
In Farmington except for once or twice a season (usually if excessive snow occurs) I have almost never seen a plow come by after 7am. They almost always come by before 7am in my area, thus giving me time to shovel up what they left before I have to head to work. People complaining when there is heavy snow fall need to calm down. The only real complaint I have that I feel was valid was some weird thing Farmington did this season.
One day in January, I came home to a ton of snow in my driveway, even though it didn’t snow. For some inexplicable reason, the city decided to cone around and hack the top off of the plowed banks that had been created. And where did that hacked off snow end up? In my fricken driveway. I’m sure if people had plowed sidewalks, it would have ended up in the sidewalk. My driveway is two cars wide, so about 20 feet. I had snow 6″ thick 2feet in front of my driveway and 3 feet into my driveway after that. And it wasn’t fluffy snow, it was all compacted ice and chunks of snow.
If I lived on a street with a sidewalk, I’d definitely have a Garden Tractor that has a snow blower on the front and a scraping blade underneath.
February 25th, 2011 at 9:49 am
I am a little spoiled living in Burnsville as I live maybe 1/2 mile from Portland. Since the hospital is right off Portland that is almost always plowed 1st. It seems like if I can get through the 1/2 mile mess, I can get almost anywhere.
On Monday, my company had a late start and a 10 am opening. I got a number of emails from people within my company that work at outlying locations that assumed we were closed due to the amount of snowfall. I guess in the metro we are expected to go to work even when we get 18″ of snow.
February 25th, 2011 at 9:51 am
Eagan’s plowing hasn’t been great everywhere; my bus often has trouble navigating Silver Bell and Rahn roads even when plows have been past due to the inclines (especially when it stops along them). Not to mention that it takes forever and a day for them to get paths plowed. I love having to walk in the street on 40-45 MPH roads to get to and from the bus stop, especially when the shoulders are covered in snow too.
February 25th, 2011 at 10:13 am
I just drove Portland North of 42 30 mins ago and found the road to be in terrible condition both for plowing and for potholes.
February 25th, 2011 at 10:36 am
Guess I am lucky..I live in apple Valley in a cul de sac, and this year the plowing has been excellent–better than any of the last 9 winters I have lived here. They come early and often–usually coming twice after large storms (granted–normally after the driveway is shoveled). It seems like in past years they used to do the cul de sacs last, but I have been pleasantly suprised and happy this year. I don’t mind the snow at the end of the driveway–I’d rather shovel it than have it sit in the street and do the melt and freeze cycle thing and leave the deep ruts.
February 25th, 2011 at 11:54 am
Echoing Burnsville comments… Snowplow drivers do a great job south of Southcross & west of Co. Rd. 5… I think we get contracted snow plowing from Ames Construction who are based nearby. Always do a good job plowing from curb to curb – so good, in fact, they always know to go by just when I’m getting ready to leave somewhere, and I have to take 5-10 minutes shoveling the snow boulders from the end of the driveway!
February 25th, 2011 at 12:08 pm
My best experience with a snowplow was when I lived in Burnsville on a cul-de-sac. It was after a very big storm and I was shoveling all by little lonesome. I waved and smiled at the driver when he came down the street. On his way back, he plowed my driveway for me! Feminine wiles work magic!
February 25th, 2011 at 1:41 pm
While I can appreciate how difficult the work is to plow city streets, I must say that Apple Valley Snow plowing in my area is horrible. I live on a street that connects a county road to a city “feeder” street. It took the City of Apple Valley over 20 hours from the time it started snowing to run a plow down my street. Can you imagine the mound of snow at the end where the county road was? It was over 4 feet high! My truck barely made it through. Not sure I agree with all the budget complaints I hear lately. While the monthly budgets may be over, surely the entire annual budgets can’t be used up as most cities budget on a calendar year.
February 25th, 2011 at 4:18 pm
I recently moved from Eagan to Apple Valley. I have noticed that Eagan not only does a better job plowing, but they also seem to take better care of their streets. My main gripe is that I live at the end of a culdesac, and the pile in the center has grown so large that it is nearly impossible to navigate. It has become a small “Buck Hill” for the neighborhood children (which I do not mind – it is good to actually see children playing outside for a change) but it does pose some serious safety issues. I suspect that they will eventually haul the mound away, but this should have happened over a month ago. Perhaps when the pile surpassed the twenty foot marker? I also have a hard time wrapping my head around how Apple Valley’s red plow trucks can create this monster mound of snow. It reaches well above the height of the plow trucks. None the lees, my observations are curious since I pay MUCH MUCH more a year in taxes to Apple Valley. Eagan also seems to take better care of their city equipment. I have been very disappointed with the city services of Apple Valley… not to mention their ordinances!!! Perhaps we will save that for another blog…
February 25th, 2011 at 5:37 pm
I hate driving in Minneapolis in the winter; even with their snow emergency hooplah, the city only seems to manage to plow one lane, down the center of the road. I always like coming home to the southern suburbs and the nice, clean streets, but that’s a given any time of year.
I do think instead of complaining, people could cool their jets and stay home when the sheriff advises no travel, and give the crews a chance to do their jobs. Also, I think it’s great you SUV owners can get around, but can you drive a bit slower? You skid on ice and you take me out, too.
As to employers expecting people in, my husband had to identify a body of a soldier once, when some idiot above made a decision to do a move on the autobahn on a foggy night. The track got rammed in the rear and the soldier fell out and run over. It’s haunted my husband ever since, and he sent his people home early during that last big snowfall. IMO, the people who make those idiot decisions should have to be the ones to identify the bodies.
February 25th, 2011 at 5:38 pm
My only complaint about Bville snow removal is that the plows just go around vehicles on the street, narrowing some streets significantly. I thought BV had a rule about no overnight street parking but our neighbors do all the time and the plow simply works around them.
I’d love for the city to ticket these folks to help pay for snow-removal services. And while they’re at it, they could ticket folks who aren’t shoveling around the hydrants in front of their house for good measure. We have a hydrant in front of our house and we do it every winter, with one neighbor helping from time to time. I was noticing just today how many hydrants are completely buried around Burnvsille. You wouldn’t even know they were there if it weren’t for the red-and-white marker sticks poking up from the snow.
February 25th, 2011 at 9:01 pm
I think the city of Burnsville does a pretty great job. I notice that the area near the Mayor gets major priority, but other than that I cant complain.
I agree with LL though. If cars are on the streets overnight, ticket them. Its a pain for us drivers and a worse pain for the snow plow drivers.
February 25th, 2011 at 10:08 pm
sym9337, you live near us!
February 26th, 2011 at 6:32 am
Note to LL Reader – Yes, Burnsville does have on-street parking restrictions every night of the year, not just during snowy weather. The restriction reads: “On any street or roadway between the hours of two o’clock (2:00) A.M. and six o’clock (6:00) A.M. of any day, except physicians on emergency calls.” It also restricts parking “Within ten feet (10′) of a fire hydrant.”
Police are too bogged down with other calls to patrol all neighborhoods every night. If there are issues with on-street parking that causes problems for the snow plows, you can either call into the police dispatch, and they will patrol the area and ticket those vehicles illegally parked, or you can use the City’s on-line Request Tracker. You have to sign in first, but then you can request enforcement of the parking ordinance in your neighborhood. The Request Tracker is here: http://www.ci.burnsville.mn.us/requesttracker.aspx Scroll down to “Police” and click on “Parking Concern”. I have used it effectively to request enforcement of neighbors who have parked overnight on the street. If you are vigilant about requesting the enforcement, the police will check your on-street parking situation regularly!
February 26th, 2011 at 8:53 am
i think they (A.V.) do the best they can weather or not i agree with how they go about it. we live on top of a hill that sometimes they plow right away, and sometimes they don’t.
the stacked up banks at the end of the driveway is part of the process:(
isn’t it against the law to blow your snow onto the street?
bb
February 26th, 2011 at 9:55 am
Steve, thanks for the link. I guess the concern for me is that there are cars still on the street covered with snow today in my neighborhood. Which I guess means that its been 6 days since a police car drove through our neighborhood. Thats not often enough in my opinion.
February 26th, 2011 at 10:22 am
No parking on the street in Burnsville overnight at any time? Yikes, I guess I’m not ever going to live in Burnsville. With 2 kids driving, and friends stay over night a few times a month, I regularly have more cars than I have space in my driveway staying over night. In the winter, if it is snowing so we know a plow will come, we borrow a neighbors driveway even.
February 26th, 2011 at 3:20 pm
Steve, thank you for the link and information but I’m uncomfortable being *that* neighbor. I’d rather the officials notice the situation and deal with it.
Aside from the safety issues of plowing around all-night street parkers and finding buried hydrants if needed, we’ve noticed things that affect property values: One neighbor on an adjacent street had a someone living in their driveway all summer 2010 in a huge travel trailor, complete with a pop-out side. It filled their driveway from top to bottom and side to side.
Then there’s the neighbor with so much crap in their garage they can’t squeeze in even one car and they permanently store their boat on the grass on the opposite side of their house. I could swiftly overuse the online request tracker — ha!
Sorry, I’ve gone completely off topic.
February 27th, 2011 at 5:11 pm
My husband and I have both called the city of bville and used the link that Steve provided and the city does provide good follow up that they actually ticketed etc. On the other hand, I agree with Chad that it is pretty sad when a car can park illegially for 6 days without a cop driving by unless you request it.
February 27th, 2011 at 6:50 pm
St. Paul’s plowing sucks, it’s no different this year. The plows plow one direction then the other, but they don’t remove the piles of plowed snow from intersections.
March 7th, 2011 at 8:34 am
so we get a dusting overnight, i look out and the street is plowed. however, we get a big dump it’ll be 24 hours or so before it’s done.
bb
March 7th, 2011 at 8:49 am
I noticed that, too, this morning. I thought it was weird they’d break out the plows for the little bit of snow we got last night.
March 7th, 2011 at 8:51 am
Anything for overtime.
March 7th, 2011 at 8:54 am
No snow plowing in Farmington, at least on side streets. Which is what I expected considering the low snow total.