Unfrozen ground and extra traffic presented clean-up challenges
CARIBOU, Maine — Between two rough storms last week, Caribou received 22 inches of snow, and the Public Works Department crews worked to clear the roads as soon as they could.
According to Public Works Director Dave Ouellette, they had their work cut out for them after two consecutive storms, with Thursday’s snow posing the greatest challenge.
“The first storm dropped about 10 inches of wet, heavy snow,” Ouellette said. “We had 12 hours in-between and then got another 12 inches of wet, heavy snow for a total of 22. The first storm was at night, so that was easier to take care of since there was less traffic. The one on Thursday was a lot harder to deal with because it dropped during the day and traffic was heavier, making it harder for us to get around. The extra cars also harden the snow by packing it into the road.”
As far as costs are concerned, they didn’t spend any more money than usual during a typical storm, since the temperatures were warmer and there was less need for salt.
Warmer weather, while saving the department money on salt, can create issues further down the road.
“The hardest thing about last year and this year, so far, is the ground not freezing before we start to plow,” Ouellette said. “When the ground is soft and we have to plow, it tears up the ground big time. Plus trucks can get stuck in the ditches on the side.
“We dealt with that all last year because there was rain after every storm. This year, we went from 40 degree weather to 22 inches of snow and the ground never froze. The challenge is going to be seeing if the ground freezes.”
Another challenge this year is the addition of about five new job tasks that operators have not done in the past. Ouellette says they are tackling this issue by training their employees.
Despite receiving five new people who had never plowed before, the Public Works director said everyone is doing great, even better than he thought they would.
“We did a little prep work and sent them out to familiarize themselves with where everything is located, how to turn, and so on. It’s been a bit of a challenge, but I think we’ll be all right.”
Ouellette has served as head of Caribou’s Public Works for the past 11 years and before that he worked for eight years as chief mechanic for the Highway Department. Though he has nearly two decades of experience, Ouellette says all the credit belongs to his crew.
“I can’t do anything without my crew,” Ouellette said. “Any time someone tells me I did a good job, I tell them ‘It’s not me, it’s my crew.”
