Wheaton hiring contractors to help battle snow
Wheaton officials say they will hire contractors to finish cleaning up after Tuesday’s blizzard because their equipment isn’t sufficient to get the job done.
As of Thursday afternoon, city crews were still clearing the city’s 300-plus cul-de-sacs.
Assistant City Manager Mike Dzugan said private crews would join them Thursday evening. The city has just four front-end loaders and two backhoes, the vehicles needed to remove snow from dead-end streets and cul-de-sacs.
“We have been getting some complaints but we have only six pieces of equipment,” Dzugan said. “Putting in regular snowplows won’t work because they cannot maneuver through the cul-de-sacs.”
As the city digs out from the near-record snowfall, which dumped nearly 20 inches, Mayor Mike Gresk said there have been a few residents complaining about plows pushing snow in front of driveways.
However, he said, for the most part, things have gone smoothly.
“We ask for patience and the vast majority have been patient,” he said. “But there is a pecking order (of streets) and we will get to it. It’s just a phenomenal amount of snow to deal with.”
Gresk said the lack of equipment is a concern but the fleet of vehicles the city maintains remains sufficient for most winters.
“Could we have more equipment? Sure,” he said. “But that is an expense. Historically, the city has been very good stewards of expenses. This is a one-shot deal to deal with this natural disaster.”
Despite the storm’s magnitude, Fire Chief Greg Berk said the fire department did not handle many calls aside from what they expected.
“We have been extremely lucky and had nothing but routine calls,” he said. “There were some motorists who needed help but it’s all routine for us during this kind of thing. We are prepared to do these kinds of things.”
As snow gets cleared, crews have been taking it to the county fairgrounds.
“You’re talking about a unique event that, for the short-term, it’s a catastrophe,” Gresk said. “But I think we have handled it relatively well.”