Thursday, March 11, 1999
City pushed to add snow equipment
BY JANET C. WETZEL
The Cincinnati Enquirer
MIDDLETOWN — A week before city commissioners will vote on a plan to add more snow-fighting equipment and a salt barn in the east end, nature may have helped with the decision by dumping 10 inches of snow on the area.
“They appeared to be pretty much leaning in that direction already, but I'm sure this will strengthen their intentions,” Public Works Director Preston Combs said Wednesday.
Although city crews managed to get a jump on Monday's storm and heard few complaints, it could easily have been a repeat of the January mess, Mr. Combs said.
That storm, which blanketed the city with snow and freezing rain, showed city officials they need more equipment and more salt on hand, he said.
“In January, if we'd had more equipment, we could have gotten to the side streets more quickly, before they iced over,” Mr. Combs said. “Also when it got warmer and we could have used salt we were nearly out of salt. More storage would have helped a lot.”
The public works department had more than 600 complaints about the streets in January, probably more than double what it would have had with more equipment and salt, Mr. Combs said.
“It's hard to tell people we're doing the best we can. We have all the equipment out, but many streets are still covered,” he said.
Commissioners are to vote on the proposal Tuesday.
On March 2, Mr. Combs told commissioners that staffing is adequate, but he recommended a three-pronged plan to improve snow-fighting ability.
It includes spending $192,000 to replace one staff car and five city trucks with larger trucks that can have snow plows and salt spreaders attached as needed.
He also wants to spend:
• $151,000 for two more extra-large, 2.5-ton trucks.
• $170,000 to build and fill a 1,200-ton salt barn and equipment storage area on the east side of town.
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