Public Works Had Plenty To Do Despite Lack Of Snow

Steinbach Public Works employees have not had much to do in the way of snow clearing so far this fall. Department head Randy Reimer says they have had their plowing equipment ready to go for over a month but it hasn't been needed.

"We're generally ready by the end of October in case we get snowfalls at the beginning of November. Usually, between the beginning of November and the middle of November, we're already starting to get snowfalls that warrant plowing."

Reimer says staff are not sitting around while the snow stays away. He notes they've been catching up on some other work.

"We have spent a lot of time trying to clean up some of our drainage channels and ditches where we've put in hard, concrete bottoms in the last number of years so we have better runoff in the spring and throughout the year. We've also spent a fair amount of time trimming shrubs and hedges and stuff along sidewalk right-of-ways where they're encroaching on the sidewalk, causing problems for pedestrians as well as when we're clearing sidewalks in the winter. We haven't had a lack of work up until this point."

In fact he says there's enough to do for at least another month should the snow stay away. Reimer also says the recent soggy weather and repeated freeze/thaw cycles have left gravel roads in rough shape so grading is underway to smooth them out.