You can’t plow curb to curb if you don’t come down the street

Last night on my block all of the neighbors dutifully moved their cars to the odd side of the street by 11 p.m. as requested citywide by the Department of Public Works. This after I also requested that DPW plow operators get to the curbs as best as possible because yesterday a school bus became stuck mid-block on my street and was forced to carefully back its way out to continue on its route.

The bus couldn’t get through because of the mounds of snow still piled all the way up and down my street.

I am very sure that there would be no way a Milwaukee Fire Department fire truck could get through on my block if there was an emergency.

So you can imagine how incredibly disappointed I was to wake up this morning and see that not one city plow came through overnight on my block on S. 28th St. to clear the even side of the street! Nor did a plow come to the same section of S. 29th St. to clear the even side (I know this because that’s where I had to park because of a lack of available spots on my block!).

On my way to City Hall this morning I also checked several adjacent blocks in my neighborhood and noticed that plows also did not touch the even side of many other side streets, and snow is still piled across many of those streets.

Folks, I call ‘em like I see ‘em and this is just not acceptable.

A few weeks ago I publicly commended DPW for their work out in bitter cold temperatures, and I know we’ve been hearing now about staffing shortages and equipment that doesn’t operate, and so on. But it’s still not acceptable and not how we should be doing business as a city.

In my view what we’re seeing are symptoms of larger problems, of decisions not made (or not even considered by the mayor) and a lack of foresight.

This administration needs to get off its dead behind and serve this city the way it deserves to be served.

If anyone is wondering whether I just didn’t hear the plow come through overnight, I can tell you that In definitely can hear the gunshots ring out in the night (I’m a light sleeper) so yeah, I definitely would have heard the plow come through.

If the DPW is too depleted and deficient to adequately address our plowing needs, then by God be honest with the Council and the citizens about what is needed!

If the mayor is seeing the same issues and isn’t concerned or willing to step in and make a clear executive decision to lead, then it’s time to find someone who will step up and serve this city properly.

To me, what’s worst of all is that DPW sent me an email this morning saying that they took care of my street.

I can take a lot of things but one thing I can’t take is being lied to.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.