OSHKOSH, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Although snow has yet to fall in the city of Oshkosh this season, its public works department is already preparing for what’s to come.
“Some of the equipment behind me, our primary salting trucks are only used for that in the winter time. We don’t use them as part of leaf collection, so they’re set and ready to go should we have to get out and start applying some salt or brine,” Oshkosh Public Works director James Rabe said.
Rabe says the price of road salt went up between $2 and $2.50 a ton this year.
“Last spring, we did take the last of the deliveries we had available to us so we are starting the season with a full salt dome. So we are maxed out on capacity starting the season, but certainly we expect there may be some challenges through the course of the winter as we start using it and maybe having to get some refills,” Rabe said.
Rabe says the city has a contingency plan in case snow plow drivers are in short supply this season.
“We’ve got some provisions in place to draw from other parts of the organization to get people into the plows, but certainly that means some of our other services are going to be delayed a little bit while we are trying to get through the snow plowing operations,” Rabe said.
Rabe wants to remind people to exercise caution when driving in winter weather.
He also wants to remind folks that Oshkosh does not have a bare pavement policy. Unless the city gets three or more inches of snow, Public Works does not do a full plow of the entire city.
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