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When Spokane County commissioners severed a contract for snow-removal services last December – right as this area received one of the longest bouts of prolonged snowfall in recorded history – it was like a cold shot to the face of Spokane Valley.
And, after a few chilly months of trying to negotiate an extended deal with the county, things started to get downright frigid.
But Tuesday, Public Works Director Neil Kersten brought the warm mittens and space heater to the City Council chambers: A plan is in place for snow-plowing services next winter.
“Things are coming together. You’ve been the architect of this, and my hat’s off to you,” Mayor Richard Munson told Kersten.
At Tuesday’s meeting, the council approved a one-year lease not to exceed $57,888 for the former Waste Management facilities near Bowdish and Sprague. The site, which was formerly used by WM to house garbage trucks and other equipment, will now be used to store five surplus trucks and sander units purchased from the Washington State Department of Transportation for $92,700. That deal was also made Tuesday by the council.
Kersten said that he is also looking to purchase some trucks that will spread chemical deicer, but they are more commonly available.
Now, the issue is to find manpower to run the equipment. However, the city has an existing contract with Poe Asphalt Inc. for summer street maintenance that could be amended to include winter work. Kersten said that officials at Poe have been receptive to the offer. There are also other contractors that have done the work in the past, most notably last winter when county crews were having trouble keeping up with the record snowfall.
Still, the city needs to develop a “training plan” for the operators and a way to communicate with them when the need arises – which could be as soon as November.
“There’s a lot of detail yet to come,” Kersten said.
Mayor Richard Munson added that he wanted to continue talks with Spokane County to develop a “Plan B” for snowplow service in case the need arises. Council Member Bill Gothmann said he believed the county was receptive.
Munson, however, wanted to make sure something was in writing.
“I’m disappointed we don’t have that backup plan,” he said.
Kersten said he would report back in three weeks on how things continue to progress.
The city is still trying to develop a long-term snow-removal plan, and officials had initially hoped the county would extend the contract for another year.
County commissioners, however, have stated that it is costly to have personnel sit idle between snowfalls. Spokane Valley officials countered they have always been willing to do that.
The existing snow-removal contract with the county expires on Oct. 15.
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By
Mike Huffman
