Theresa Stehly attended the City Council meeting last night to talk about snowgates. Obviously snowgates only are effective in 0-12″ of snow (which is most of our snowfalls) and would not have worked very well in the past storm ON ARTERIAL STREETS, but they would have been handy on the emergency snow routes. As you can see from the video, it doesn’t slow down plows either. Of course anti-snowgate Vernon Brown couldn’t resist to get in a game of he said she said with Stehly. Whether they work or not is not the argument here, what I can’t figure out is Brown’s resistance to experimenting with them, at least on emergency snow routes. He doesn’t have a problem with spending millions to build rhino barns at the zoo (something that has ZERO benefit to the public – ZERO!) but pisses and moans about spending a couple of grand on an experiment? This kind of prioritizing by Vernon tells you what kind of mayor he will make.
The reason why the experiment will not be conducted is simple. Henke is based in Kansas and has no direct ties with the Sioux Falls movers and shakers. Rest assured if it was the Dunham Gate, or the Sanford Gate there would be a large purchase contract.
Henke is a member of the Alamo Group. They also own Tiger Corporation located in Sioux Falls.
I am skeptical, but I am curious how they would work in like 6 inches of snow. I think that it would really help out people on emergency snow routes. Theresa called the president of Henke and he told her that there would be a possibility of Public Works ‘sabotaging’ the experimental snow gates.
Yah Think?
I can’t wait until April 13.
I simply cannot understand why so many members of our city council are so damn reluctant to even experiment with these.
It isn’t that they are uber-expensive. It isn’t that they are a inconvenience to the plow operators since it is a simple one switch operation, and it isn’t because they don’t work – because they do.
I guess it is either because they can’t earn any points with the wealthy business owner since he doesn’t live in Sioux Falls, or it is simply because it wasn’t their idea.
Maybe some of these guys own snow removal companies on the side and are afraid this will cut into their profits?
Staggers seems to be on board with at least giving it a shot…and frankly it just makes common sense.
Vernon should go back to annoying people on Stormland TV – at least when he was there I could just turn the channel.
I think they look like a great idea. After shoveling out our driveway every time the damn snow plow went by several times a day the snow gate looks good to me. We lived on Grange and we were forever shoveling snow. I hate snow.
That looks like a great product that would greatly increase safety. After the plows go through intersections those windrows are fairly dangerous, as well shoveling out your driveways gets old quick.
You’ll have to read Vernon’s post about it on his website. I like how he doesn’t use Staggers or Stehly’s name. He mentions this would cost 1/2 million everytime it snows. Untrue. Staggers has proposed to buy one snowgate and experiment with it. Doubtful that would add up to 1/2 million. And, BTW, who are you to complain about a 1/2 million when you voted to build a rhino barn. Maybe we should hook scoops up to their horns and have them plow out driveways.
Oh, here is the hissy fit:
http://vernonforsiouxfalls.squarespace.com/vernons-journal/2010/1/4/no-snow-complaints-i-spoke-too-soon.html
I posted a comment on his website… I just need an explanation on how snow gates would add 40% to the cost of a snow event.
Sure that might happen if you had to buy new snow gates every time it snowed, but beyond the initial purchase costs I don’t see how those would be a considerable expense.
Please Vernon – do what you can to actually explain yourself instead of just tossing out random numbers.
What he also doesn’t mention is that all the city has to do is write and ordinance that requires the subcontractors to use the snowgates, they would have to purchase them and maintain them.
Maybe Vernon gets no complaints because it would be pointless? As well regarding heavy snowfall, the plows are out there all day and night on emergency routes, so they would not be plowing 20+ inches every time and even if some snow goes over the top it would be better than the deep rows we get with out them now.
Years ago, I had a girlfriend who lived in St. Paul, and was staying at her family’s house for a few days on Christmas break. On one of those days, about six or seven inches fell. Not only was I shocked that her residential street was plowed by the time we woke up, but their plows had these gates. This was 1985! And they worked perfectly! Funny how Vernon and his pals love committees and task forces but have no desire to even investigate such an obvious improvement that would impact everybody’s life.
There is a reason for this, the city has slowly chopped away citizen benefits over the past 10-20 years. Tree trimming and code enforcement come to mind. They don’t want to go in the opposite direction by giving more benefits.
Reading Brown’s bullshit, he mentions multiple times the so-called experiments in Minot and Fargo, and how they weren’t used during two snowfalls last year. Isn’t that simply because those two cities receive large snowfalls more often than us? Last month’s Winter Apocalypse was the most snow we’d seen in 30 years, and they still would have worked on the emergency roads that were constantly plowed from the very beginning. At the very least, they would have been worth their cost on the second run on arterial roads, when they’re moving the heavier, icy crud that’s next to impossible to remove from our driveways.
Like I said, this is not about snowgates, it is about giving a benefit to citizens.
Heard Scott Hudson on the radio talking about this on my drive this morning. I didn’t catch the entire thing, but it sounds like Vernon holds the minority opinion on this one.
I just cannot fathom how someone running for Mayor would tell the voters that he isn’t willing to spend money on something that would benefit them all rather than the countless projects which he is willing to fund that only benefit a few.
That tells me what type of mayor Vernon would be, and why I simply cannot support his “vision” for Sioux Falls. We have had enough of that type of ‘leadership’.
Well, I hope you were not supporting him anyway.
I didn’t – but this is yet another example of why. As far as I’m concerned Staggers in the clear leader in this race thus far. I know he is far from perfect, but at least he makes an honest effort to put the citizens first – damn the consequences.
Did you see Munson’s quote on KSFY last night. You would need a snow gate to scoop around his bullshit;
http://www.ksfy.com/news/local/80765642.html
We asked Mayor Dave Munson what he thinks about using snow gates for the city.
He says quote, “The City of Sioux Falls has looked into snow gates many times and repeatedly found the same information. Snow gates are used in very few communities because they cannot be used in heavy snowfalls, they require significant additional staff and equipment to maintain the same level of service we currently provide.”
It takes additional staff to push a button? The fact is that they actually save time because plows don’t have to come back and clean out intersections later.
Why don’t you get a plow operator’s opinion on this one? Maybe one that has actually used a snow gate?
The Bismark assistant city admin who used to be the public works director told a friend of mine recently they work great and actually save time, they even worked in 17″ of snow.
I watched Ms. Stehly’s presentation before the council. She had her ducks in a row. There seemed to be enough evidence that the gates should be investigated. 438K sounds like a lot. The city could test and the manufacturer would likely assist at their cost. If it’s good, there should be full implementation. Incremented would cost more.
Mr. Staggers comments in favor of testing impressed me.
At this point, full negative on Vernon Brown for mayor. I found his ‘I know higher ups in ND’ repulsive and derogatory.
I’m surprised at city leadership’s defensive ego. They’ll pay for an expensive consultant’s opinion and not accept an uncompensated report. It should be more important because it comes from a concerned informed citizen. We sorely need a new mayor. A better one is almost anyone who walks into city hall, even a mentally incompetant vagrant.
Or a $33,000 calendar that people threw in the trash.
Vote on the snowgates today!
http://www.argusleader.com/