Photo by Marney Simon | Enterprise Staff
Those familiar snow piles are back, as the village has now faced its first two snow events of the winter. Village leaders said the public works department has done a good job keeping up with the snow so far this winter.
Village fends off first winter weather
There are still a few more days before the official start of winter, but the village of Plainfield has already faced its first two tests of managing Old Man Winter.
The first measurable snowfalls came down on Sunday, Dec. 4 and again Saturday, Dec. 10.
Village officials said they were pleased with the response from public works when it comes to keeping roadways clear.
“I want to commend the street department and the personnel who work there for getting rid of…. that snow,” Mayor Michael Collins said after the first snowfall. “I got up this morning and the streets looked wonderful. We actually got three or four ‘good jobs’ on Facebook, and that’s appreciated.”
Public Works Director Allen Persons said the effort to keep the village streets clear and safe falls to more than just the public works department.
“It’s not only the street division, the wastewater division and also the engineering division all work together in a snow emergency,”
“We work as a team, we work very well, and we all look forward to more successful operations in the future.”
The wet and heavy snow that fell in the evening hours of Dec. 10 did cause some problems.
“There were several crashes and cars in the ditch over the weekend,” Police Chief John Koponek told members of the village board on Dec. 12.
Board members asked village police if there was a way to reach out to county officials to keep up to date on plowing and salting operations on Plainfield roads that actually fall within the county’s jurisdiction.
Construction is now complete on Route 30 between Renwick and I-55, with all four lanes finally open
Construction complete
After months of closures and headaches, the two lanes in both direction of Route 30 are now open and clear.
The construction is now complete between Renwick Road and I-55, and per the village, the contractor has removed most of the barrels and barricades along the route.
Safety devices on side roads, including Renwick, Lily Cache, Spangler, McClellan, and the Frontage Road, are scheduled to be removed as soon as pavement mar) will be removed as soon as pavement markings are complete.
Meanwhile, the detour for 127th Street has been removed, and the roadway has been reopened to traffic.
Construction of that area will continue periodically over the winter, with work set to begin again in the spring.
Appointments
The board unanimously approved the re-appointments of Debra Olsen, David Schmidt, George Rapp, and David Hagen to the Historic Preservation Commission. Each of the appointees will serve a three-year term, expiring on Oct. 18, 2019.
-Marney Simon | Enterprise Staff