Clearing the Air on Snow Removal in Hampton

Doug Tarr wears three hats: Public Works Director, Code Enforcement Officer and Zoning Administrator. One of his many duties: keeping the streets clear in Hampton.

But that comes with backlash, as seen with the most recent snow-fall in Hampton, which led to criticism on social media. From wondering why the snow plows don’t run in the middle of the day to why each snow-fall is treated differently, Tarr had an answer to every question. 

Tarr wanted to make one thing clear during his interview with the Chronicle: every snow-fall is different, which means they’re all handled differently. As he pointed out, weather forecasts are often off, which means they can only plan ahead so much. 

Tarr approaches each snowfall with the same frame of mind — and the same list of questions. What is the forecast predicting? Once the snow has fallen, what is the consistency? What is the wind speed? How many inches have accumulated? How long will it be snowing? With all of this in mind, he comes up with a plan of action, making sure to maximize their efforts in as little time as possible. Because, as most would guess, the city’s budget plays a huge role in snow removal operations.

This fiscal year, the City of Hampton allotted $15,000 for snow removal operations. This amount is meant to cover maintenance or purchasing of snow removal equipment. It does not cover the cost of labor. According to Tarr, the city spends around $4,500 on a day’s worth on clearing a two-inch snowfall. So to him, time is money. The more quickly they can complete the job, the more money they save the city. 

But safety is another concern for Tarr. While efficiency and costs are important to him, he said his top priority will always be the safety of his nine-person crew, and that when they plow the roads is a part of that. According to Tarr, it’s safest to plow at night. 

Tarr, who’s been in his position since 2005, said his team of nine full-time public works employees help with each snow fall. But there’s always a chance that someone is sick, or home with a sick child, especially now that his team is made up of younger employees than in years past. 

When it comes to the annual budget for snow removal, he said it’s remained mostly consistent over the years, at least since he’s been with the department. He said it’s increased slightly, but that’s only because the price of the parts they need have increased. 

“A snow event is like a fingerprint,” he said. “It is very unique, uncontrolled and in many cases unpredictable.” 

Let’s take a look at the city’s most recent snowfall, which took place on Feb. 14 and Feb. 15. Two inches of snowfall were forecasted for Friday evening, causing the city staff to call in a snow ordinance until further notice. Tarr said that the weekend started off rocky, as three public works employees were up late Friday night repairing a water main break on Highway 3 in the 700 block. 

Tarr woke up to a phone call at 6 a.m. on Saturday morning from the Hampton Police Department, notifying him that there were two inches of snowfall at that time. Tarr discussed a plan with Street Foreman Nate Robertson, and the decision was made to have a skeleton crew of employees clear main roads and work on some sidewalks for emergency vehicles that day, as more snow was forecasted for later that day. 

The nine city employees then plowed the entire community early Sunday morning, starting at 2 a.m., including alleys and two rounds of scraping and hauling snow away from downtown. They worked thirteen hours straight during Sunday’s snow-removal operation. 

“We operated safely, with minor breakdowns, while being fiscally responsible,” Tarr said. “We did not need a second day of a full-blown operation.” 

Tarr said he believed that other surrounding communities handled the snowfall in the same manner. 

Iowa Falls’ Street Superintendent Mike Pepper said they approach their snow removal operations in a similar fashion, and that it is difficult to clear streets during the day, as people are out and about. Teresa Lancaster, Director of Building and Zoning for Iowa Falls, agreed. 

“Back in the day, people used to pre-plan and go to the store the day before and get their things that they needed for a day or two,” she said. “Nowadays, it’s much different, as people are always on the go. Unless you are the one pushing the snow for the city, you don’t realize how hard it is. Especially doing it around vehicles — there’s a complexity to it. There is a lot of space to cover.”

While there were plenty of complaints on social media regarding the most recent snowfall in Hampton, Tarr did not receive a single call from community members, nor did the Hampton Police Department or City Hall. 

“I think people drew their complaints from the fact that it stopped snowing for a longer period of time between snow showers than expected,” Tarr said. “Nonetheless, I stand behind our calls and operations for the last snow event. The Facebook warriors will complain no matter what or how we do because everyone is as unique as a snow event.” 

At the end of the day, Tarr said he enjoys his job. 

“I like a good challenge,” he said.