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Dickinson details snow-removal response after Thanksgiving storm; city estimates about $143,000 in costs
Summary
Deputy Public Works Director Jake Waldo told the Dickinson City Commission the Thanksgiving weekend storm required contractor assistance, 250 truckloads of snow hauling, and an estimated $143,000 in response costs; staff will post plow-tracking updates on the city website to improve resident communication.
Deputy Public Works Director Jake Waldo told the Dickinson City Commission on Dec. 16 that the city’s Thanksgiving-weekend storm — measured in the 6–9 inch range by staff estimates — required a broad response involving city crews and contractors.
Waldo said the city prioritized Level 1 and 2 arterials during the event and then invoked full-city clearing once conditions and drivability warranted. "We had 250 truckloads that we hauled out from this last storm," he said, and noted hauling began at 2 a.m. and concluded around noon the following day to clear congested downtown and school-adjacent areas. He said contractors played a major role in those efforts.
Waldo provided early cost estimates for the event, stressing invoices were not yet final: "Our total cost for this storm ended up being right around $143,000 — about $41,000 for contractors, $82,000 to run equipment, and $20,000 for public works labor," he said. He characterized those numbers as rough, subject to final invoicing and reconciliation.
The presentation described operational thresholds: crews treat storms under about 1 inch with limited response, at roughly 4 inches the city clears the entire network post-snowfall, and heavier events trigger hauling and broader contractor calls. Waldo said the city will continue to refine timing and communications and asked residents to move vehicles off streets when possible to enable more complete plowing.
Waldo also said staff will post map screenshots and periodic updates to the city website — showing vehicle tracking and which routes have been cleared — so residents can track progress and know when to move vehicles.
Commissioners thanked staff and contractors for their response. No policy changes were adopted; Waldo said improvements will be operational (communications and posting of progress) and budgetary impacts will be finalized as invoices arrive.
The city will monitor final costs and return with any budget or contract adjustments as necessary during the 2026 budget cycle or in follow-up reports to the commission.
