Spring ends city’s hard, expensive winter

snowSpring started Thursday, and city officials praised it after a costly cold and snowy winter.

Streets crumbled, water mains broke and eight major snow events alone cost the city $4.1 million for snow removal.

City officials reported the damage Thursday to the mayor and city manager.

Sherri McIntyre, public works director, joked with mayor Sly James, “For your first year in office, mayor, you were able to keep the snow gods away – they came back with a vengeance.”

James explained in terms of blues artist Robert Johnson, who legend says cut a deal with the devil to become a star.

That first snow-free year,  James said, “that was part of the deal to get elected.”

McIntyre also said the drought last year combined with the harsh winter to cause major pothole problems. Shifting from drying out combined with shifting from freezing and thawing.

“Pavement doesn’t like to move like that,” she said. “Our soils here are terrible for pavement and our rock isn’t so great either.”

There was also a rash of water main breaks in November, December and January, leading to longer repair times and a temporary drop in customer satisfaction scores.

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