Burning mad over berms

COEUR d’ALENE — Bob Carchia was not happy with what greeted him in his driveway Thursday morning.

“I had a berm this high at 5 o’clock in the morning and I had to shovel that out so I could get my truck out,” he said, holding his hand near his waist. “It was this high. I couldn't plow through it."

His neighbor at Seventh Street and Locust Avenue, Wally Pharness, was equally upset because he said city snowplows left a berm a few feet high across his driveway, which he had already cleared a few times and had to do it all over again.

“Once this stuff freezes up, it’s just like concrete,” he said.

Pharness called the city and said, “This is the first snowstorm of the winter. I don’t want to have to shovel this out three times every time we have a snowstorm.”

Todd Feusier, director of the city’s Street and Engineering Department, said he won’t.

“We will do better,” he told the men as they stood outside their homes on Thursday afternoon.

Wednesday’s storm dropped more than 12 inches of snow in Coeur d’Alene and left slushy, icy streets that were difficult to navigate.

City snowplow crews began working at 4 a.m. and their first priority, per the city’s snow plan, was to keep arterials, hills and collector streets clear. Because there was so much snow, they had to focus on those areas Wednesday and didn’t start on neighborhoods until Thursday.

By then, it had warmed up a bit and rained a little, creating what Feusier called “pretty much the worst conditions to plow in.”

“It’s wet, heavy and there’s a lot of it,” he said.

Feusier said the snow gates, while designed to reduce berms, don’t eliminate them and don’t operate well in such conditions.

The city’s snow plan says "citizens should always be prepared to clear driveways in these cases."

“With this type of snow, the gates almost don’t work,” Feusier said. “It’s too much weight, it rolls off, it’s hard for us to control it.”

The result was berms in the wake of snowplows.

The Street Department was swamped with calls Thursday morning from residents voicing their frustration.

One woman who called The Press said she lives north of Seventh and Best Avenue and was blocked in by a big berm.

“I couldn’t believe it,” said the woman, who declined to give her name.

The longtime resident said city crews normally do a good job, but not Thursday.

“All I know is, I don’t like being trapped in my driveway,” she said. “If this stuff freezes, we’re stuck. There’s nothing we can do.”

Carchia and Pharness spoke with Feusier for several minutes Thursday.

“Everybody knows it is not a perfect system but as long as everybody knows what the process is meant to be - in other words you use the gate as much as you can,” Pharness said.

“Make sure they understand the importance of using that gate whenever possible,” he continued. “That’s all anybody’s asking. Do the best you can.”

Feusier assured them city crews were doing their best in difficult conditions and said he would share their concerns with his department.

"I guarantee you they all care and it’s not intentional,” he said.

Feusier said their task is made more difficult by vehicles parked on streets, and asked citizens to park in the back of their homes if possible.

“That allows us to do our job better,” he said.

He said crews worked nonstop to clear streets during this snowstorm.

“Our machines don't even shut off,” Feusier said. “Just change the operator."

He also said he was happy to meet with residents, adding that citizen input is valued.

“I appreciate your call," he told Pharness. "This is how I know this is what we need to do better."

Pharness said they understood.

“We all have to deal with the consequences of winter,” he said.