Boiling over berms

By BRIAN WALKER

Staff Writer

POST FALLS — Joe Lampe said he was having a lovely morning on Valentine's Day when a situation involving a city street plow crew snowballed.

The Post Falls 41-year-old admits he erupted when he discovered his company's trailer parked in the street had been damaged by what he believes was snow and ice thrown against it from a plow.

Lampe said after digging out the truck and trailer for about 45 minutes and noticing the damage, he stormed to the two drivers working in his neighborhood in the area of Stagecoach Drive and 22nd Avenue.

Lampe was issued a misdemeanor assault citation for allegedly threatening a city worker.

"(Lampe) jumped up onto the loader, ripped open the door and started a verbal onslaught …" the police report states.

The employee told police Lampe said, "Who the (profanity) do you work for? You don't (profanity) plow people in like that. I will just go get my gun and shoot you."

Lampe denies threatening to shoot anyone.

"I said, 'I ought to kick your ass. This is why people get shot.'"

Lampe said he does own a gun, but both sides said a firearm was not brandished and there was no physical harm.

Lampe said he did open the door to the loader, but he did not climb up the stairs.

He called his reaction "100 percent wrong" and "childish."

"Did I get upset? Absolutely, but I am not a violent person," he said.

Lampe said he faces up to three months in jail and a $1,000 fine and he's not sure what action to take in court.

"It's a learning experience and unfortunately I may have to serve time and pay a fine," he said. "I highly recommend not yelling at someone in the state of Idaho."

Lampe said he couldn't open the door to his truck because the berm was so high. The city asks residents to move vehicles from the streets during snowstorms, if possible, to allow crews to do a better job of clearing streets and reduce hazards.

Lampe said he assumed the crew he approached near his home were the workers who had passed the trailer, but one of the employees said they hadn't plowed his street and perhaps the overnight crew had.

Lampe said the damage consisted of wires that were ripped out under the trailer. The berm, he said, was aggravating.

Police contacted Lampe later in the day through his work and issued the citation.

Post Falls Police Capt. Greg McLean said the amount of snow has caused stress on residents, but verbally abusing the snow plow drivers isn't the proper way to complain.

"He chose to use hostility and anger," McLean said. "These guys were just doing their job and trying to keep the streets as clean as possible. They don't deserve to be treated like that."

Paul Kinney, the city's Public Works maintenance manager, said recent snowfall has created a challenge for the entire region.

"We recognize that these types of snow events can cause tensions to run high and add a level of stress to our already busy lives," Kinney said. "We want our community to know that the city of Post Falls is committed to providing excellent service. While this was an unfortunate incident, our plow teams will continue their efforts to keep our streets safe."

Kinney said snow-related complaints should be emailed to snowworries@postfallsidaho.org.

Post Falls implemented snowgates in its snow removal operation this winter. The equipment reduces berms in driveways for all residents, but the service also has more than doubled the time it takes to clear all the streets. In previous years, berms were reduced only for those with disabilities or the elderly who applied.

Snow berm frustrations are also bubbling over in other areas of the region as well. In Spokane County, two residents allegedly threatened drivers this week.

"They became irate with the snowplow drivers who were trying to do their jobs and keep our roadways safe," Spokane County Sheriff's Office Spokesman Mark Gregory wrote in an email. "Deputies did respond to both incidents and worked to de-escalate them. They did not find probable cause to support criminal charges in either case."