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Street department supervisor outlines snow-removal response after heavy storm
Summary
City street crews removed roughly 90 truckloads (about 750 tons) of snow after a multiday storm, prioritizing state routes and major corridors; council members urged clearer public timelines and wider use of text alerts and other notifications.
Joe, who said he oversees Salem’s street department, told council members the city prioritized state and major corridors during a multi-day snow emergency and then worked toward secondary roads and downtown sidewalks. "We have a plan, we manage it, and we move forward with it," he said, reiterating that crews concentrated first on State Street, Ellsworth and Lincoln before targeting Broadway and downtown.
Joe described heavy operations: 60 truckloads of snow removed in an eight-hour stretch, another 30 truckloads taken from Broadway, then additional work on Lundy and Penn that he said amounted to about 90 truckloads in total — roughly 750 tons. He said crews dumped snow on a paved pad near Persian and Cunningham, where front-end loaders and skid loaders staged and loaded multiple trucks.
He acknowledged equipment limits during this event, saying a skid-loader snowblower underperformed in light, windy snow and crews reverted to front-end loaders for reliable loading. The department also operated one person short for parts of the response, he said, and remains on call for follow-up clearing if the forecast changes.
Council members pressed for clearer, earlier public communications about parking bans and street closures after some downtown businesses reported they expected to be closed on Monday despite mixed guidance. Officials said Salem’s text alert system (text.mygov) reached more than 2,000 subscribers and that the city has budgeted a finite number of messages; they also noted the water-bill mailer has been used previously to promote the alert sign-up.
A council member urged more visible on-street signage during emergencies — "order some big very bright orange signs that can go on every light post downtown" — while others warned that precise timelines can be difficult in rapidly changing weather. Officials proposed setting a parameter for downtown clearing (for example, clearing within 48 hours after a storm ceases) while retaining flexibility if conditions worsen.
Council members and staff said there were no reported injuries or major accidents connected to the snow-removal operation. The meeting concluded with an agreement to conduct an after-action review to refine communications and consider clearer written parameters for downtown response.
The council adjourned with a promise to continue the conversation on notification rules and operational expectations.
