City officials: employees working to keep up with snow

Tim Leeds

The Havre mayor and representatives of its Public Works Department Tuesday repeated a message they gave during a City Council meeting Monday: City officials are hearing about problem streets in the community, and they are working to keep up with the snow removal requirements.

Mayor Tim Solomon said department personnel have compiled a list of streets people have said need snow removal.

"It's just trying to get to it, " he said, adding that the list fairly well covers the entire city.

The topic came up at Monday's meeting, when council member Janet Trethewey said people had been asking about problems on side streets, especially after snow melted to slush, then froze solid, creating ruts.

"They asked me a question I couldn't answer, 'Is there a plan about how the city goes about clearing off the side streets, and how do they prioritize? '" Trethewey said.

She added that one specific concern was about 11th Street to 13th Street.

"The side streets along there, you either have to go all the down way to 5th Avenue and back around, or you have to go through those side streets that are really, really bad, " Trethewey said. "There is no way to cut across. "

"We're getting a lot of comments for the roads right now, and there is a plan …, " Solomon said Monday. "They have a planned route that they do as far as working on the streets, and they've been working them steady …. It's just keeping up with it is all. "

Council member Bob Kaul said he has been asked a related question by Havre residents.

"I was approached by about three different people who wanted to know, and I didn't have the answers to that question either, they have plows on the front of their outfits, " Kaul said. "What would the city say or do if they were plowing their own streets? "

He also asked, if people did plow the streets, where the snow could be placed.

Solomon said people with that question should contact the Public Works Department.

Deputy Public Works Director Jeff Jensen said the same. People, including council members, should contact the department with questions or concerns, he said.

Trethewey also asked if any plans are made to invest in more efficient and effective snow removal equipment.

"That's all budget, " Solomon said. "We've cut out capital improvement. With the way the budget is right now, capital improvement went by the wayside. "

He added that investing in snow removal equipment was brought up during the budget discussions, but other expenses, including high-priority items for day-to-day operations of the department, kept such investments from happening at this point.

Solomon said Tuesday that things are likely to get messy again with warmer weather on the way.

The National Weather Service forecast that Havre will see temperatures in the 30s Thursday and Friday, and into the 40s over the weekend. The warmer weather is expected to continue into next week.

Solomon said that will bring back the softer snow and slush on the streets once again.

"The streets are going to get worse before they get better, " he said.