City of Rexburg

How Rexburg Handles Winter Snow Removal

Rexburg...we have a confession to make...

Todd Covington, Rexburg’s Streets Department Foreman
Lieutenant Shawn Scott, who works with patrol & enforcement
Keith Davidson, Rexburg’s Public Works Director
Matt Nielson, the City Chief Financial Officer

Together, we dive into what happens behind the scenes and why some decisions are made the way they are.

When Do Snowplows Go Out?

Todd explained that he will check forecasts, then read various meters that are installed around town for measured accumulation.

“When average accumulation around town hits an inch and a half in December and January, we start plowing.”

This is a policy that was updated last January with our City Council, following a lengthy discussion about our policies, explained Keith. For the time being, only those months are 1.5 inches; other months remain at 2 inches. Future discussion about accumulation thresholds is likely to follow after we've collected more information on how the change affected snow removal procedures.

Keith adds that they’re looking at an average accumulation. He said, “For example, some parts of town are at a higher elevation than others. When they see snow, that may not be the same for the whole town.”

We asked why plowing is primarily done at night. In short, it’s to reduce safety risks and improve efficiency. Todd said:

“Too much traffic on the roads… if we plow during the day, sometimes we have to have the cops come out and guide traffic so we can keep going.”

Daytime snow removal is particularly cumbersome at intersections where the plows have to maneuver through the entire intersection, and it typically takes a few swipes to get through the whole thing. Todd explained that normal daytime traffic makes that especially tricky and potentially dangerous.

If heavy snowfall happens during the day, crews may focus on main routes, but residential streets typically wait until nighttime.

“Yeah, we will try to plow main routes during the day if [there’s] that much snow, but out in the residential housing, we'll wait till about 10 o'clock at night so we can maneuver around without causing wrecks or problems,” Todd said.

During active storms, snow can accumulate faster than it can be cleared.

“Sometimes it doesn’t look like we’ve plowed your roads because the snow is still coming down while we’re still out plowing.”

When snow is falling fast and heavily, conditions change rapidly. Our crews put effort into getting out there, but please keep in mind that it can take a little time for them to make it to your street.

That led us to ask how many crews and trucks are working on snow removal.

In short, Rexburg’s snow removal relies on both City staff and contractors. Todd and Keith both explained that the City utilizes:

• 11 street crew members who have assigned plow routes

• 4 City plow trucks

• 2 City road graders

• 2 contracted grader crews

Understanding the difference between equipment helps explain timing and coverage.

“A plow’s [attached to] the front of a truck…. A road grader is heavy equipment [that can plow] 12 to 14 feet.”

Keith explained that graders clear a much wider path, but they are expensive and used only part of the year. Because of that, Rexburg finds contracting the additional graders to be a cost-effective solution.

Matt also noted that additional equipment requires additional staff to run and repair that equipment. He explained that “It’s a lot cheaper to bring on a contractor for a few months of the year and pay an hourly rate for equipment that they already own… than for us to say, ‘let’s hire two more full-time people and let’s go buy two more $450,000+ graders.’”

Keith explained that contractors are hired annually based on hourly rates and availability. “We get prices from them each year… then we use the ones that are most cost-effective.”

This approach allows the City to respond to winter needs without carrying millions of dollars in underused equipment year-round.

So what does snow removal actually cost the City?

Keith and Matt agreed that costs have increased significantly in recent years.

“It’s far more expensive to buy equipment and replace equipment than it was five years ago.”

Matt indicated that labor and benefits are among the largest expenses in employee wages. “Benefits can cost as much as 60%+ of [employee] wages…health insurance is continuing to rise. We’ve even had years where inflation for wages was between 7 and 8%.”

As a result, snow removal today costs substantially more than older estimates residents may have seen.

Keith summarized, “There's some things that might come up that are a little bit of a headache, but generally we have found this is to be our most efficient and cost-effective way [to] plow the city.”

Next, we asked about overnight street parking regulations. The City of Rexburg has an ordinance where vehicles can’t be parked on city streets or alleys streets overnight. Why exactly does this matter so much, and why is it a challenge?

Snow removal depends heavily on streets being clear of parked vehicles. Todd said, “If [a vehicle] is staged there, yeah, we’ll plow around it.” But he went on to explain how that can lead to problems.“If we plow around your car, you’re going to have to call us to come move the snow so you can get your car out… or call a tow truck.”

Although the winter parking ordinance is enforced from 2:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m., plows often begin earlier. “If you’re going to be in at nine o’clock, just move your car off the road. Don’t wait till 2:00 AM,” Todd requested of our residents.

This was a critical notation in our conversation. The challenge of moving around vehicles causes issues for both Street crews and residents alike. Todd explained that streets with obstructions often have to get plowed again later in the morning, and that takes time and makes the whole process a lot less efficient for everyone.

When asked for the Police perspective on the ordinance, Lieutenant Scott reported that most residents comply. “It [might] take a ticket one time, then they’ll remember the next time.”

The City acknowledges the challenges these parking ordinances create, particularly for students and apartment complexes without sufficient parking. Leadership has been looking for solutions for some time. Last January,  seasonal long-term parking was offered at Rexburg Rapids as one means of helping the problem.

Matt said, “This allows people to have long-term parking for the winter season and helps alleviate the concern of ‘where do I put this extra vehicle?’”

He noted that interest in the solution exceeded expectations. “I was actually surprised how many people did it last year.”

A parking permit for that lot can be obtained from the Rexburg Police Department.

Ok, so we understood the snowplowing plans and policies, but what about when roads are icy? That often leads to just as many concerns as the snow.

Snowplowing isn’t the only winter operation. Todd told us, “Yes, we will sand during the day, unless it is snowing. If it's snowing, then the sand does no good. Then we'll have to wait till we plow, then we'll sand.”

The sanding route is always the same, designed to prioritize the main roads. “We sand 2nd East, 7th South, the roundabouts, and then the main roads.” Todd added, “Nine times out of ten, the cops will call me [with problem areas] and tell us where to go sand.”

Lt. Scott identified a few winter driving realities for Rexburg. Even with plowing and sanding, winter driving requires preparation. The best safety practices? “Leave early, plan ahead, drive slow, and don’t be on your phones.”

He also said that vehicle awareness matters. “If your car doesn’t have four-wheel drive, good tires or snow tires, you’re going to have a very hard time making it up a grade like [2^nd W].” Meaning not all vehicles will handle sloped streets equally. Sometimes the safest choice is a different route. “Think about what’s the best route to go if the roads are slick.” He advised residents and especially students, “If your car is not winter-maintained… take a lower grade hill and then you can get to your apartments up at the top of that hill.”

We’ve heard so many complaints about snow berms over the years, we just had to ask about them. The answer? Snow berms are unavoidable. Todd said, “Nothing I can do about the berms. There is a fact of life here in Rexburg.”

However, placement matters. He suggested, “Take your snow and put it from the north side of your driveway to the south side,” that way the plow will put the snow on your lawn instead of piling it in front of your driveway.

We hear so many complaints from residents about snow removal in general, we found it important to highlight the work our crews put in to service our community.

Snow removal requires long hours and personal sacrifice. It was nearly noon when we asked Todd what time he came to work that morning. 2 am, he told us, and he was planning to be on the clock until at least 4 pm. Of his crews, Todd said, “They don’t get to see their kids much on Christmas… and they’re dedicated to do the best for the citizens of Rexburg.”

Lt. Scott said officers see that work firsthand. “[Streets crews] are out from early in the morning till sometimes later in the afternoon… busting their butts.”

 Our biggest takeaways from these conversations,

There are parts of the snow removal process that are dependent on resident assistance. Please get your cars off the road when you can in the evenings, especially if snow is forecast. Help our crews do their job so they can make the roads safer for everyone.

City crews work long hours in challenging conditions, and while there are some realities that come with living in a cold-weather area, we are always working to improve our services within our capabilities for Rexburg.

We wish everyone a safe winter season!

If you have any further questions or concerns, please reach out to us!
customerservices@rexburg.org; 208-359-3020