Snow removal labor cost down $15,000 from last year

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI/KIDK) - Pocatello is saving costs on snow removal labor this winter.

Despite more snowfall than last winter, Pocatello has saved more than $15,000 on labor costs for snow removal.

So far, Pocatello has had roughly 22 inches of snow fall this winter, compared to the same time last year with 17 inches, according to the National Weather Service.

At this time in 2019, the city spent $69,950 on labor costs for snow removal and pretreating roads, according to city spokesperson Logan McDougall.

That number dropped to $54,400 this year. Tom Kirkman, the deputy public works director for the city, said that's due to more efficient pretreating processes.

The city is pretreating more roads with a salt brine made in house, which has cut down on unnecessary snow removal, according to Kirkman.

Another change that has helped the snow removal process is the decrease in sand use on roads. Previously, the city used a salt and sand mixture with four times the amount of sand than salt. Now, most roads in the valley don't get treated with sand at all.

Kirkman said that change has made the brine mixture more efficient as well.

While cost of materials has remained roughly the same as the previous year, the drop in labor costs has saved the city time and money. Pocatello does not use contracted services for snow removal unless necessary, which hasn't happened since 2016.

Fun fact: Idaho Falls has had nearly 50 inches of snowfall this winter, getting more than twice as much as Pocatello.