Duluth mayor apologizes for snow removal woes following storm

Duluth city officials are vowing to improve their snow removal procedures after a storm dumped nearly two feet of snow on the city and made some neighborhoods difficult to access.

While issuing a public apology to residents, Mayor Emily Larson said heavy snows and strong winds during the holiday weekend complicated snow removal, sometimes leading to broken equipment.

“Streets that we would normally go in with a regular plow were unable to get through the compaction and the heft and the weight of that snow,” Larson said. “It meant we had to use a specific kind of grader, we have 22 of those, but they can’t function 24 hours a day on end without breaking down.”

Larson said some residents complained that they didn’t know when plows would clear their street. She said there may be a technological solution like a website that shows plow routes in real time. The city plows about 425 miles of city streets.

“I think our residents would really appreciate that,” Larson said. “That would also be an additional check and balance to us because there are always ways that we may miss a street or an intersection because our staff and team is working so hard to cover so much ground.”

The city had temporarily banned travel to some Duluth neighborhoods due to drifting snow. Some plows even missed areas, giving some residents the perception that less wealthy areas were not a priority.

“It’s really on us that we didn’t get that area done and that’s not in keeping with the values I’ve presented as a community, and what our residents can expect to rely on with me,” Larson said.

City officials are asking residents to contact them to report areas in the city that haven’t yet been plowed. The city will also look at staffing levels during snow removal, Larson said. “The question isn’t what we need in that moment of emergency, but the question is how do you staff that year-round?”

Although the Duluth school district is open, Lowell Elementary School and Myers-Wilkins Elementary School were still closed Wednesday. Duluth’s parks department is working with the local YMCA and others to provide activities for kids who are out of school as the city continues to clean up following the storm.

MPR News reporter Dan Kraker contributed to this story.

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