Maintaining highways and streets in winter is hard work. It takes planning, innovation, training, and good management to meet the challenges of citizen expectations and tight budgets. Fortunately, a lot of good ideas for better policies and better methods have been developed and used around Wisconsin. . . . Appearing live on a local radio show, Richard County Commissioner John Huth informs citizens about safety around snow plows, timing of plowing operations, and how to make good winter driving decisions. The county's patrol superintendent and one of the patrol truck drivers join Huth on the radio.
Staff can also answer questions better and elected officials understand what's happening.
Policies needn't be elaborate. Richard County's is just two pages. Highway Superintendent Donald York says this helps protect gravel shoulders, especially in the fall and spring before the ground freezes. Owners of unsafe mailboxes routinely get notifications from Adams County, and City of West Bend refuses to replace mailboxes that were not installed according to the guidelines in the local ordinance. Towing is unsafe, says Portage County Patrol Superintendent Dale Peterson.