Snow Plowing Could Take Longer This Winter

Snow plowing in Milwaukee could look a lot different this year due to staff shortages and a change in strategy. Additionally, any major snowfall will likely result in notable delays in other city services.

“It is possible there will be some delays and service changes,” said Department of Public Works operations manager Danielle Rodriguez in briefing the Public Works Committee on Nov. 30. “If we hit five to six inches, yes, it could take a little longer, but we will get to it.”

The vacancy rate for the city’s 277 plowing positions is between 20% and 25% according to a Dec. 9 DPW press release.

And even if it was fully staffed, DPW is changing its strategy this year. It has long prioritized arterial streets over side streets, but after repeated questioning by the Common Council and others, it’s changing strategies.

“In our effort to reach the residential streets in a more timely manner, we will have to adjust what the service level looks like on the mains. That doesn’t mean we won’t create a safe environment, but it does mean it will look a little different. We are going to experiment with that over the winter,” said Rodriguez.

Alderman Scott Spiker praised the change. “For years, I’ve gotten complaints that ‘I could eat off the arterials, but I can’t get off my street to get to them,'” said Spiker, paraphrasing a refrain often used by his colleague Mark Borkowski. “You’re a capable administrator. I am sure you will adjust as needed.”

But regardless of which strategy is used, residents will see impacts after the streets are clear. Sanitation and forestry workers form the bulk of the plowing workforce, and are pulled off their normal jobs to complete the snow cleanup operation.

“It’s the other services that residents should expect some delay on,” said Rodriguez. That primarily includes delays in garbage and recycling collection, but also for pothole filing, bulk waste pickup and other services. “You could see those things happen more often.”

On the staffing issue, DPW has already had a canary in the coal mine, though it was technically a leaf in the gutter. The city targets six to eight passes per year on leaf cleanup on a city street. This year, due to staffing shortages the city fell back to a baseline of four passes. “Our staffing challenges and our staffing levels have definitely changed the service and the way we approach that service level,” said Rodriguez.

As a result of the reduced frequency, the piles in the street got larger which consumed more parking spaces for an even longer period of time than normal.

Rodriguez said staff were already being reallocated from garbage and recycling to leaf pickup and overtime. Spiker suggested the city might need to consider more “radical” solutions in the future, like suspending garbage collection for a week to catch up.

The staffing shortage is still present even after the council authorized a $5,400 pay increase last October for starting plow drivers. The base rate is now $46,951 plus full benefits, with city residents automatically starting at $48,359 (3% more). The city is also continuing its practice of hiring retired workers for part-time roles.

Short of applying for a job, what can you do to help? Make sure your vehicle is parked following winter regulations, pray for a mild winter and be patient.

For more on how the city plows snow, see our 2020 ride-along article.

Plowing Ride-Along Photos