Snow less of a problem on Gurnee streets

Fewer telephone messages and e-mails at her village hall office when snow is falling are a good thing if you're Gurnee Mayor Kristina Kovarik.

Complaints about a lack of snow removal on village streets peaked during a major storm last February. Kovarik even joined the chorus, at one point issuing a public apology for snow-packed roads and bumpy driving conditions.

It's a different story so far this year on the village-controlled streets and state thoroughfares such as Grand Avenue handled by the Illinois Department of Transportation, which Kovarik said seemed to "forget" Gurnee at times last winter.

"They're on top of it," Kovarik said Tuesday. "They're proactive. Believe me, the e-mails and phone calls are way down."

Gurnee Public Works Director Thomas Rigwood, who began his new job in November, said the village is taking a different approach toward snow plowing this year. Gurnee has received about 30 inches of snow as measured at public works headquarters.

Rigwood said detailed statistics are now kept on cumulative snowfall and total plowing costs for each storm. He said detailed expenditures are needed if Gurnee ever had to seek federal or state reimbursements resulting from a winter disaster.

About $250,000 has been spent on snow removal in Gurnee this year. Rigwood said the figure covers employees' overtime and regular hours, as well as salt and liquids for snow removal.

Meanwhile, possible warmer temperatures with rain over the weekend have led Lake County's emergency management coordinator, C. Kent McKenzie, to raise concern about flooding on the Des Plaines River, Fox River and Chain O'Lakes.

Rigwood said he doesn't expect the Des Plaines River to be problematic in Gurnee if the warmer weather arrives. Gurnee's typical flood zone is near the river east of Milwaukee Avenue and Route 132.

"The river is down and it is not to a flood level to be concerned about it," Rigwood said.