Parksville snow budget nearly gone
Two decent snowfalls and one broken snow plow means the City of Parksville is about tapped out when it comes to snow removal.
Manager of operations, Mike Squire, says it has been a challenging year.
“Our budget is near breaking,” he said. “We allow only so much each year and we have to prioritize our limited equipment and personnel.”
The first snowfall his workers faced, he explained, was wet and heavy and one of the city’s plows broke trying to clear it. As a result of this — and of local businesses and residents pushing snow onto city areas, Squire said the city had a big job.
“Everyone needs to co-operate when it snows,” he said. “We only have so many pieces of equipment to do the job.”
A second snowfall last month was easier to handle, he said, but meant getting close to exceeding the annual snow removal budget. Squire said if that does happen, the city does have reserve funds in which he can dip into — in case of emergency.
As a result of this year’s snow, Squire said the city changed the way it clears the streets — pushing back to the sidewalks and a bit further, in order to prevent excess build up.
The priority, he continued, is for main streets and access points to allow emergency vehicles better clearance.
editor@pqbnews.com
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