Milwaukee aldermen press DPW over December snow-plow failures and weigh refunding snow-and-ice fee

Aldermen pressed Department of Public Works leaders on Jan. 8 over failures and communication lapses during the Dec. 19–20, 2024 snow event and debated whether the city could or should refund the annual snow-and-ice fee.

The discussion unfolded at the Milwaukee Common Council Public Works Committee meeting, where Alderman Westmoreland — sponsor of a file about the December plowing failures — described widespread constituent complaints and said the central problem was “the lack of communication from DPW leadership.” DPW director of operations Danielle Rodriguez and Public Works Commissioner Joe Kruschick answered detailed questions about how the department responded, what happened in the field and what changes the department plans.

Why it matters: The committee reviewed whether the council should pursue a partial refund or other adjustments to the fee that funds snow-and-ice operations, and sought operational changes including more timely responses to aldermanic inquiries, better real-time tracking of trucks and more proactive staffing and supervisory coverage. The fee generates roughly $11.3 million a year and is part of the city’s adopted budget for 2025.

DPW timeline, tactics and numbers DPW described the department's operational timeline for the Dec. 19'20 event and the tactics used: - The department said it initiated pre-treatment and a general ice control (GIC) operation before the storm. Early residential pretreatment used granular salt targeted at roughly 500 pounds per lane mile; mains were later treated at rates varying from about 300 to 500 pounds per lane mile depending on conditions. - Crews were directed to move from mains to residentials once mains were judged safe; directives changed multiple times between about 4 a.m. and 9 a.m. the Friday after the storm as conditions varied across the city. - DPW reported roughly 102 plow/salt trucks scheduled per 12-hour shift, with additional reserve vehicles available to fill gaps. The department said routes were right-sized this season so some went longer but with fewer extreme outliers.

Operational constraints and failures highlighted by aldermen Aldermen raised several…