Changes to Saint Paul's Snow Plowing

Saint Paul Mayor Chris Coleman today announced several changes to the Saint Paul Public Works snow maintenance operations as a result of an internal review following the storm that began on Wednesday, December 4.

“Weather conditions in the Twin Cities presented a particularly challenging set of circumstances for our snow plow drivers,” Mayor Chris Coleman said. “But this is Minnesota, and we are no strangers to erratic snow fall. As a result of this weekend’s internal review, we will make a number of necessary changes to ensure Saint Paul remains the most livable city in America.”

Changes in the department will include:

• A continued increase in the use of salt and sand per square mile to help address current road conditions, a change made Sunday morning.

• A reprioritization within the Public Works budget that will direct just over $2 million to accelerate the purchase of several additional salter/sander/plow trucks.

• A reorganization of snow maintenance leadership within the Public Works department.

“Saint Paul has always prided itself on the high quality of services we provide residents, and it is clear after a thorough review that the city did not live up to those expectations,” Mayor Coleman continued. “In the short term, a more aggressive salting and sanding operation should help alleviate some of the issues on our roads, especially when the temperatures start to rise. In the long term, these changes should help provide residents, visitors, and business owners with the type of city services they have come to expect. At the end of the day, weather patterns are unpredictable and will continue to throw us curveballs well into the future. But we have the responsibility to strive to be the best we possibly can be.”

In 2011, Mayor Coleman approved a $6 million Public Works vehicle replacement plan. The plan provided an additional $1.2 million per year for five years to replace the city’s aging fleet. In the changes announced today, Mayor Coleman has directed Public Works to reprioritize an existing $1 million in capital spending and accelerate the $1.2 million in capital spending planned for 2014.  

With temperatures hovering around zero degrees for a number of days, the City of Saint Paul asks for your patience while we continue to address the drivability of our roads. The City of Saint Paul operates a 24-hour street maintenance hotline at 651-266-9700. The city encourages concerned parties to continue to report problems areas throughout the city. Emails can also be sent to snowemergency@ci.stpaul.mn.us.