Street Department employees thanked for snow removal efforts

Plymouth City Councilman Don Ecker took time during Monday's Board of Public Works and Safety meeting to thank Street Department employees for their work during recent snow events.

Street Superintendent Jim Marquardt said his crew has performed well during the past couple of snowstorms, but the work hasn't been without challenges.

"The guys have worked a lot of extra hours, but it's disheartening anymore with social media and Facebook court," Marquardt said. "People make comments and don't know what's going on."

Marquardt explained that when temperatures drop below 15 degrees, it becomes difficult to melt snow and ice. Sunshine and traffic help melt snow and ice packed on road surfaces, but the conditions require patience.

"Folks don't like it when the streets are snow-packed and bumpy," he said. "Even though the weather wasn't good on Sunday, it didn't keep people home. While the street crews are out plowing, vehicles are driving over the snow and packing it down before we get there to plow it."

The Street Department has also faced issues with residents not moving their vehicles off the streets, forcing crews to use pickup trucks with plows in tight spaces where larger trucks won't fit.

Marquardt shared one particularly unusual complaint the department received.

"All the complaints just kind of get to you," he said. The superintendent recounted listening to a voicemail Monday morning from a man who called Sunday night around 10:30, complaining about plowing on Seaside Boulevard. The caller turned out to be from Massachusetts.

When Marquardt returned the call to explain the mistake, the caller began berating him before he could speak. Once the caller stopped, Marquardt informed him he had called Plymouth, Indiana—not his hometown—and the man began laughing.

Marquardt noted that Plymouth's Street Department isn't alone in receiving complaints. The county highway department and even Plymouth, Massachusetts, face similar criticism during winter weather events.

Despite the challenges, Marquardt's crew remained committed to clearing the streets. Some employees worked plowing shifts on Sunday, and all crew members put in 12-hour shifts on Monday, starting at 4 a.m.

City officials encourage residents to be patient and considerate of snow removal crews as they work to clear streets, roads, and parking lots throughout the community.