By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Staff Writer
The City Public Works Department was well prepared to deal with the recent heavy snowfalls, but Director Michael Harmon said the cost is putting pressure on the snow removal budget.
As for the work itself, “it’s very routine for our crews,” Harmon said. He noted that his four-person crew is equipped and trained for heavy snowfall. Although Sitka hasn’t seen heavy snows like this year’s since 2008, his crew was ready, he said.
About 7 inches fell this past weekend, and more than 20 inches has fallen since Jan. 1, unofficial counts at the city wastewater plant show.
“This year has certainly been, of course, more effort than we’ve had in a while in terms of snow removal.”
Crews begin their work at 3 a.m., he said, in order to have streets clear in time for the morning commute.
He added that the sheer amount of snow this year has forced the city to load snow removed from the streets into trucks and take it to disposal sites.
“When we get heavier snow like this... we have to start removing it to a location off the streets to clear the berms and such,” he said.
Brian Craig drives a grader on Seward Street Thursday. Sitka has seen an unusual amount of snow this winter. City crews have been working long hours to keep roads safe. Some 7 inches fell this past weekend, and about 20 inches has fallen since Jan. 1 (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson)
In the past, Harmon said, the city was free to dump snow directly into the ocean, but federal regulations now put limits on this. As a result snow is being piled up at the old city shops site on Halibut Point Road, he said.
Harmon said that deciding where to begin street clearing after a snowfall is a form of triage, dealing with the most urgent needs first.
“Life safety comes number one,” he said. After that, public works focuses on ensuring that infrastructure isn’t damaged.
The city snow removal budget for the year is $308,258, of which 72 percent is already spent, Harmon said. While the expense so far isn’t unreasonable, “it’s got us nervous because it’s higher than we would like,” he said, noting that Sitka’s snow season often extends into March.
“When people are getting ready for winter to be ending, it’s often our time to start ramping up,” he said.
