January 1979 was a watershed month in Chicago politics.  Or, more exactly, a snowshed month.

Then-Chicago mayor Michael Bilandic was heavily favored in the Democratic primary over his challenger, Jayne Byrne, whom Bilandic had fired from her City Hall job.  And, Chicago being Chicago, the Democratic nomination made election a foregone conclusion.

But two snowstorms within two weeks buried Chicago in over 35 inches of snow, and the resulting unplowed streets, uncollected garbage and strangled public transit enraged voters who, one month later, booted Bilandic out of City Hall.  Since that time, snow removal has been a touchy subject for most public officials in the Chicagoland area.

Which brings us to the latest snow storm in Park Ridge, which reportedly dumped a little over a foot of snow on the 140 miles of streets in our 8 square mile community and was promptly followed by sub-zero temperatures.

According to a January 2, 2014 story in the Park Ridge Herald-Advocate, many of the streets where plowing was incomplete or unsatisfactory could be attributed to parked cars that impeded the plows, especially in cul de sacs.  Consequently, even though the City’s Public Works Dept. runs two 12-hour shifts of approximately 16 employees, areas went unplowed not for want of trying.  And after the snow tapered off on January 2nd, Public Works director Wayne Zingsheim reports that his crews began “salting like crazy.”

Our previous post drew a number of comments critical of the plowing and salting.  In driving around we found areas in town that seemed to justify the criticism.  But a little over a week later, most of the streets are clear, compliments of warmer temperatures and plenty of rain.

How much snow removal from this last storm actually cost the City has yet to be reported, but we suspect it will put a good-sized dent in the Public Works budget.  But when a situation can virtually remediate itself in a week or so, that raises a couple of important questions: Just how clean should the City make our streets; and how much should the City spend to do it?

We would think everybody would want the streets to be passable ASAP, and it sounds like some even expect snow and ice cleared down to the pavement.  Presumably most residents are looking for something in between.  Whatever the desired condition, however, we still need the political/economic will to pay the cost of achieving that condition.

So those are discussions we think our elected and salaried public officials should be having, starting tonight (Monday, January 13)  at City Hall, 505 Butler Place, starting at 7:00 p.m., when the City Council’s Public Works Commitee is one of the featured events of the COW (Committee Of the Whole),   If you’ve got any complaints about the recent snow removal or, better yet, some ideas on how services could be better and/or more economically provided going forward, show up and let your views be known.

Yeah, all you “anonymous” commentators to our January 8 post – especially 01.09.14 @ 9:08 am, 01.09.14 @ 4:31 pm, 01.09.14 @ 5:39 pm, 01.10.14 @ 8:56 am, 01.10.14 @ 3:33 pm, 01.10.14 @ 4:21 pm, 01.10.14 @ 4:52 pm, 01.10.14 @ 4:59 pm, 01.10.14 @ 5:39 pm, 01.11.14 @ 10:57 am, and the likes of “More money less services” on 01.09.14 @ 3:47 pm – we mean YOU!

Meanwhile, the newly-cleared streets reveal another problem – one that won’t vanish with warmer temperatures or be washed away by rain.

Pot holes.

A few drives around town yesterday and today would suggest that potholes seem to have sprung up overnight, like mushrooms.  And while most of them don’t appear to have grown to tire-blowing or wheel-bending size, that problem is just a matter of time.

Remember: The more the City spends on snow removal, the less it has to spend on pot hole repairs – unless, of course, residents want to pay more taxes.  And if you do, there’s a mayor and seven aldermen who want to hear from you.

How about at tonight’s Council meeting?

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