The 2007 / 2008 winter season is already one for the history books and winter is still upon us. As of February 7 the Public Services Department had responded to 28 different snow events, a number of which were severe in nature. From ice storms in December, to major snowstorms in February, Public Services employees have worked tirelessly to keep the streets clear and safe for motorists.
Evidence of the difficult winter is shown with the number of hours worked and our salt usage. To date, crews have worked approximately 3,500 hours on snow removal efforts this winter. This is more than the last two winters combined. In regards to salt, during a normal winter, the Public Services Department uses approximately 4,000 tons of salt to deice roadways. As of February 7 we used approximately 6,700 tons of salt. As communities in the Chicagoland area and parts of the Midwest are experiencing severe salt shortages due to heavy usage, Niles is constantly working to maintain an adequate inventory of salt.
While snow fighting takes a lot of effort, crews are also responsible for a number of other important responsibilities at the same time, including water, sewer, streets, trees, streetlight, and facility maintenance. Public Services – meeting the challenges daily.