Snowplow Test Gets City’S Ok Shields Would Clear Driveways But Slow Task

Goodbye snow berms? Maybe.

City snowplows will experiment with equipment this winter that allows plow operators to stop that irritating wall of snow from being thrown across the front of driveways. The $3,000 experiment was narrowly approved after much verbal wrangling by the City Council during a budget workshop Tuesday night.

Citizens who live in the area bounded by Harrison Street on the north, 15th Street on the west, Sherman Avenue on the south and Interstate 90 on the east will benefit from the experiment. The equipment lets snowplow operators engage a shield that keeps the blade from throwing snow to the side.

“There’s a lot of senior citizens out there who can’t do it,” Councilman Ron Edinger said of people who have to chip out the snow wall after the plow comes by.

“Let’s give it a shot. If it doesn’t work, we’ll sell (the equipment) to Spokane.”

That suggestion met with fairly stiff opposition, because it increases the time it takes to plow city streets. Crews can clear the entire city in 48 hours, but they say that figure will triple if every snowplow has to have the berm blocker.

“If we start clearing everybody’s driveways, we won’t get the streets cleared before it snows again,” Councilwoman Dixie Reid said.

Councilwoman Sue Servick agreed and said the $3,000 is frivolous. “We’re running a test to see how much slower we are going to plow our streets,” Servick said.

But Mayor Steve Judy said he’s visited communities, such as Moscow, Idaho, that use the equipment. “They say it takes 15 percent more time,” he said.

Judy ended up breaking a tie between council members. He, Edinger, Deanna Goodlander and Chris Copstead voted for the experiment.

The issue of the Aryan Nations parade also surfaced during the two hours the council spent fine-tuning its budget. Edinger questioned whether the city had put aside money to deal with security if the parade is held again next year.

Police Chief Dave Scates said he was asking for an additional $14,000 to cover overtime. But that’s still $8,000 less than what Scates estimates it would take to deal with a parade.

The city ended up with an unexpected $48,000 bill for this year’s parade, much of it for equipment and training. That spending was matched by the county, which also supplied law enforcement.

Edinger also hinted that there may be trouble for the city if the parade returns to downtown.

“We’ve already been threatened by one lawsuit if we allow it again,” he said.

City officials would not provide details after the meeting.

Other council budget adjustments included:

Reducing Judy’s request for a $900 cellular telephone budget, up from $320 this year. The council instead agreed to spend $600. Judy’s employer, North Idaho Immediate Care, has agreed to pay half of the monthly, flat-rate bill, he said, figuring he uses the phone for both entities.

Instructing the library to come back Thursday with a larger budget request that includes less drastic measures to reduce spending.

Instructing the library to report back on the results of a salary survey. Edinger expressed concern that people are quitting jobs at the library because of inadequate salaries.

Adding $500 to the Arts Commission’s budget.

This sidebar appeared with the story: WHAT’S NEXT The City Council will conduct another budget workshop Thursday evening at 5:15 p.m. There will be a public hearing on the final budget Sept. 1 at 6 p.m. at City Hall.