Throughout grade school and middle school, a snow day did not simply mean relief from school, a delay of a test, or an extra few hours of sleep. For me it meant money. After hearing Phil Costigan on KQ98 list off area school districts shutting the doors for the day, I would high tail it over to my grandparent's house where their snow covered driveway meant ten dollars out of grandma's purse for the eager entrepreneur with a shovel.
The same entrepreneurial spirit rings throughout the city after each snowfall while dozens of trucks, skid loaders, and snow blowers set to work clearing the driveways, sidewalks, and parking lots of businesses and private residences before another day of school and commerce begins. For many, it is the periodic beeping of backing up loaders that serves as an early alarm clock and indicator of the overnight weather conditions.
Up until last winter, the snowplow business was not one local residents cared to be in. However, with record snowfall amounts in December and continued waves of storms in January, local contractors are staying as busy as last year.
Andy Heisler, a seasonal employee for Brent Schroeder, explained that they have approximately 65 accounts to take care of after each snowfall amounting to an inch or more. "We have four trucks and two skid loaders, six people working, and we usually start at two or three in the morning. After a big snowfall, we have seven to 12 hours of work. It depends on if we have to haul the snow out."
Schroeder does a mix of residential and business accounts, about half and half by Heisler's estimate. Heisler considers December to have yielded a similar amount of business as last year, while January seems to be hitting a little harder.
Heisler logged 50 hours once already this winter over a four day period. While pushing and hauling snow takes up most of the time, regular maintence of the machines is also essential. "There's a lot of maintenance with that stuff, Heisler commented. "Its not all profit, otherwise everyone would do it."
Gary Kruckow at Bonanza Grain estimates they, "pushed as much snow this winter as last year total." While nearly 80% of their work is for townships, they also serve businesses in town. Their fleet consists of five snowplows and a few loaders.
Mike Meyer, of Meyer's Lawn Service, converts his John Deere mowers into snow blowers and plows each winter. He has 40 clients and remains as busy as last year, if not a little busier. This past December he made 13 rounds compared to only 7 in December of 2007. Sixty percent of his clients are residential. With his crew of three it usually takes six to eight hours to finish removing the typical three-inch snow. When asked if he was ready for winter to end by now he stated, "No. I like snow. I like the winter time."
On a smaller scale, Fred Kruckow plows approximately 15 driveways with a blade on his truck for neighbors and friends.
"If the city plows we plow, and I think they city's been plowing just about every one," stated Kruckow. He also commented, "the city employees really work hard. I've never seen a crew like that. The county and the state, they all do a tremendous job. You look at a road a few hours after a storm and its been bare and salted."
"It's relentless, every other day," Fred continued. "I'm sure the funds are getting tough. Most winters you can't make any money (in the snowplow business). Its got to hurt everybody else because it's a lot of snow you haul out of the parking lots."
Where contractors such as Schroeder, Kruckows and Meyer earn a little extra income during the winter, local residents and businesses are the ones who are stuck with the bill as Fred pointed out.
Joe Hammell, from Rippe, Hammell, Murphy Law Office, commented, "Its a two edged deal. It costs businesses more that pay for it, but its good for businesses that get the money. It stays within the community."
Their office has a small parking lot behind the building for employees and apartment tenants that gets cleaned at an hourly rate after each snowfall. The rate depends on the equipment used which ranges from a small skid loader to a loader and dump truck when necessary to haul snow out of town. Already this winter snow removal has cost them a considerable amount.
A similar system is in place at the high school, which is also billed an hourly rate. With budget concerns a regular consideration at school board meetings, one can't help but wonder how a heavy winter will affect the tight school budget.
"A year like this is certainly difficult," Superintendent Moriarty stated. "At this point if it quits snowing today we'd be fine. We certainly haven't exhausted our budget yet, but depending on how much more snow we get this winter it could become a problem. Last year we did overspend our budget on snow removal. It went clear into April." The amount of money budgeted for snow removal is based on average winter conditions.
Even local churches are not exempt from buried parking lots and sidewalks and the increased effort and money it takes to keep surfaces from becoming hazardous to pedestrians. With each consecutive snowfall, Carolyn Holatz of Immanuel Lutheran Church wonders, "Where are they going to put it?"
After their snow pile began to engulf the parking lot she explained, "we asked the guys who do it here if they will turn the corner and start piling on the west side of the building." For locations with the space, piling it on lawns serves as a cheaper alternative to having it trucked out of town.
With March typically the snowiest months of winter for this part of the state, it doesn't take much imagination to realize the worst could be yet to come. For local snow removers, a long and snowy winter could mean good income for the next couple of months. For business owners, residents, schools, and churches, it could mean further strain on an already tight budget.
Without my grandparent's driveway to shovel anymore for a small profit or property of my own to pay to keep clean, I find myself indifferent to each successive snowfall the weatherman predicts. I guess for now I'll simply enjoy it for what it is.
