As winter weather settled into the Finger Lakes region, Auburn city officials used a recent City Council meeting to review the city’s snowplow operations and remind residents how snow removal is handled during the season.
City Clerk Chuck Mason said the presentation came at an appropriate time, with Auburn receiving about three inches of snow overnight last week.
The annual presentation was delivered by Department of Public Works Superintendent Mike Talbot, who reviews the city’s snow removal strategy with the council each winter. Mason said the goal is transparency and public awareness.
“It’s something that everybody’s talking about, and everybody has questions about,” Mason said. “We put as much information as possible — probably about all of the information that goes behind the strategy for snowplow removal in the city — into this presentation.”
According to Mason, Auburn’s snow removal budget for the current season totals just over $305,000 and is dedicated specifically to plowing operations. The city is divided into 16 individual snowplow routes, with each route requiring its own piece of equipment taking about four hours to fully plow, according to Mason.
Talbot also reviewed the different sizes of trucks used across the city, depending on street width and route needs, and showed photos of the equipment used during snow events. In addition to roadways, Auburn operates a sidewalk plow that focuses on high-traffic areas such as Arterial and Grant avenues.
“A lot of times the snowplow for sidewalks will be out there a couple of days straight after a snow event, trying to get through all of the sidewalk areas,” Mason said.
City officials acknowledged that sidewalks cannot always be cleared immediately after snowfall, but Mason said efforts are made to reach priority areas as soon as possible.
Residents with concerns about snowplowing are encouraged to contact the Department of Public Works directly or submit a request through the city’s website.
Mason also praised DPW employees for their dedication during winter storms, stating that many have not missed a call-in for snow plow removal for four or five years straight.
“It’s stressful behind a snowplow, especially when you’re in a situation on city streets where there’s vehicular traffic and parked cars and pedestrian traffic,” Mason said. “We really appreciate everything that they do.”
City officials expect snow removal operations to remain active as winter conditions continue across the region.
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