Elgin council member critical of snow response

Like many Elgin residents, Juan Figueroa waited for a city plow to clear his street following last week's latest severe snowstorm.

But instead of 24 hours after the snow had stopped -- which is the city's stated policy -- it took several days and a call to the city to summon a plow.

The delay left Figueroa, who also is a city council member, frustrated and angry.

"It seems like the city was not prepared for this type of storm," he said at Wednesday's council meeting. "We cannot afford another basic services disappointment."

Fellow council member David Kaptain agreed with Figueroa that tough decisions have to be made if the city wants to improve its service.

Most cities focus on major roads first. But comparable towns, such as Aurora and Naperville, clear snow within 12 to 14 hours, respectively.

"I couldn't find another town that uses 24 hours," Kaptain said. "At least get us on the same level."

While some see the city's plowing efforts overwhelmed by Mother Nature, it wasn't for lack of trying.

At the height of the Jan. 31- Feb. 1 storm, 50 people were working to clear streets and some major roads were plowed 10 times to keep them clear.

David Lawry, the city's general services manager, said between Jan. 31 and Saturday, city plows logged a cumulative 33,000 miles.

That is like driving from New York to Los Angeles nearly 12 times.

John Loete, Elgin public works director, said the city maxed out its purchasing ability for road salt under an agreement with the state, buying 11,700 tons, a 30 percent increase over the 9,000 tons originally in the budget. The city also bought 4,000 tons of salt from other sources, but the last batch was more than $100 a ton, about 2 1/2 times the price through the state's agreement. Still, Loete said crews are mixing salt with sand to conserve its supply.

"We've used way beyond normal this year," he said. "Our only decision was 'How lucky do you feel?' Do you think what you've got is enough to last, or do you need more? It's been a tough winter."