He said that they've been trying to keep up with the recent
storm's snowfall, drifting, and setbacks caused by the City of Hugo plows. Then he mentioned something that really
surprised me. He was concerned
that residents would call the police if he worked too late into the
night. He continued and told me a
story that last winter, while working to clear snow from our neighborhood
sometime after 8:00pm, the Washington County Sheriff pulled-up to his machine
and asked him to stop working.
Apparently, the Sheriff's Department had received multiple phone
calls complaining about the noise his snow blower was making.
I fully understand that we live in a neighborhood where
people call all hours of the day or night "bedtime". What I don't
understand is how someone would reach the annoyance breaking point so fast and
decide calling the Sheriff on the snow blower guy was the best option available.
The City of Hugo's plows work through at all hours of the
day and night. They go where and
when they're needed. It's a safety
issue. If ambulances or fire
trucks get stuck, as
happened as recently as last Sunday in Minneapolis, consequences can be
severe. If fire hydrants aren't cleared, as
was the case in a St. Paul fire last night, response time is delayed and
firefighting is more difficult.
Our neighborhood's snow removal contractors should be
afforded the same understanding that the City of Hugo's plow crews are given.
We count on them all. If our contractors believe that working past 8:00pm (or 3:00am for that matter)
allows them necessary time to clear streets, alleyways, fire hydrants, or sidewalks then
I'm OK with that.
Workers are still trying hard to catch up with last week's
record storm. It’s clear that
there’s still more to be done, and it looks like they'll have new inches of
snow to clear over the next few days. I hope that instead of calling the cops,
our neighbors can show a little patience and understanding- especially for the
people who make living here a little easier and safer.
- Mark
