La Crosse could hire extra contractors for snow removal

Some of La Crosse’s potholes this winter have become so big, the mayor is calling them ‘pot canyons.’ 

Mayor Tim Kabat led a discussion among city department heads this Monday, about trouble with snow removal and street repairs. 

La Crosse’s engineer, Doug Kerns, said the city utility departments seem to be ‘maxed out’ in personnel and time put in on shoveling and plowing this season.    

Kerns made a suggestion for extra help to the city board of public works Monday. 

Kerns says the city should consider hiring extra contractors, at about $250 an hour, to bring in people and equipment for increased snow removal. 

Mayor Tim Kabat, who heads the board, says City Hall may need to declare ‘snow emergencies’ to eliminate new snow after the alternate-side parking period ends this week. 

City officials who spoke at the meeting described this winter as ‘horrendous’ and ‘worse than a lot of years.’ 

But even considering a season when La Crosse had record snow in February, Kerns says this community is better off than some others in the region, such as Eau Claire and Duluth.