City crews work into the night to remove snow

Are you like me? I didn’t expect to see snow like this in February. If fact, I can’t remember ever having this much snow fall this late in the winter. What makes it even stranger is how little snow we had the rest of the year. I like the seasons, but I also like the unpredictability of the weather within the seasons. This is part of what makes Idaho special.
 A friend jokingly asked me a couple of weeks ago at the gas pumps if the City had overspent the snowplowing budget for the year. I made some kind of remark back to him in jest, not expecting that our plowing crews would get to work a Saturday, a Holiday and through the night to clear streets.
 While I’m at it, I want to say how much I appreciate the snow-plow workers. These folks don’t just work in the street department, but consist of employees for the street, water, sewer, and electrical.. They all keep an eye on the forecasts, adjust their schedules accordingly, and come together whenever they are needed, even when it is unexpected, like Monday, to clear the streets.
 They start with the town perimeter, the downtown and main connectors, then work out from there. They even work through the night, like Monday night, to make sure your streets are safe. This is also an example of how the City employees work together, across departments, no matter what the need, to be of service to Weiser. My hat goes off to the guys who do this service for the rest of us.
 On the COVID-19 front this week, our numbers have dropped down to less than one new case per day. This is GREAT! The efforts you have been making to wear masks, distance, and sanitize are paying off. Way to go, Weiser!
 So far there have been 21 of us, unfortunately, who have died from this terrible virus. Our hearts and prayers go out to those who have lost friends and loved ones to this infernal disease. This stage of the pandemic reminds me of the Vietnam soldiers on the ground at the end of the war when it was all over but the negotiating. No one wanted to be the last one to die, so extra caution was given to watching out for each other.
 We need to do the same for each other. Let’s make sure all of the fatalities have already happened by continuing to wear masks, distance, and washing hands.
 In City business, at the next City Council meeting we will be discussing, and possibly adopting, a new ordinance to increase larger penalties for violations of the weed, junk, and debris ordinances. The ordinance would also allow, as a last resort, for the city to have its crews go onto the property, clean it up, and file with the county for the charges to be added to the property taxes. The intent is to encourage people to continue to keep Weiser a great place to live for all of us.  
 Speaking of ordinances, now that winter is just about over, the City will be stepping up enforcement of the ordinance not allowing people to live in recreational vehicles. The reason the ordinance is in place is due to safety issues. RVs are not designed to hold up to the wear and tear of constant use. In the last few years there have  been two RVs in Weiser which have caught fire while occupied. In one instance, the occupant was able to get out. The other was not so fortunate, with tragic results. We don’t want this to happen again, so enforcement will be stepped up.
 Well, that’s it for this week. Please drive safely, mask up, and have a good week.