MILWAUKEE -- As the snow still sits in piles outside, aldermen turned up the heat on the Department of Public Works.
Nine inches of snow fell last Monday. By the city's standards, all main and side streets should've been cleared 24 hours after the snow falls. Instead, DPW finished plowing mid-day Wednesday -- 12 hours later.
The public works committee met for the first time Wednesday since last week's snowfall and officials identified three reasons why the job didn't meet the city's standards:
- Fluctuating forecasts
- The relaxation of parking rules
- Lack of backup drivers who were ready to take over
"I am as satisfied as the least satisfied person out there," said DPW Commissioner Ghassan Korban.
Some positive notes did come from the meeting: compliments to plow drivers who worked 24-hour shifts and to the receptionists at city hall who answered the phones non-stop for days.
