A look back on snow removal after rough winter weather, and now paying the bills

YORK COUNTY – After heavy snows, blinding wind and below-freezing temperatures during earlier trying weeks, county officials are looking back at what all took place – from road work to emergency response – and how the costs of some of it will be paid.

​York County Highway Superintendent Harvey Keim said he appreciates the current warm weather as “Mother Nature did a 180 and that really helped us. All our roads are now open.”
And York County Sheriff Captain Josh Gillespie, on behalf of the department, offered his “thank you to the county roads department during that really difficult couple of weeks. During this last storm, the crew really did everything they could and we truly appreciate it. We had a motorist stranded and one of Harvey’s guys got us to him, to rescue him. That is just one instance, as we called them multiple times for assistance.”
York County Commissioner Randy Obermier recognized how the county hired outside, independent contractors to help the roads department with snow removal as the task was so daunting with virtually each of the county’s 1,100 miles of rural road closed because of being buried in snow.
“We will need to transfer money from the inheritance fund to pay for those outside contractors, for that snow removal expense which is above and beyond our regularly budgeted snow removal expenses,” Obermier said. “And I also want to acknowledge there were private individuals, who we did not hire, who voluntarily helped us with snow removal, which is greatly, greatly appreciated. A whole lot of people helped us and I want to publicly say thank you. A lot of people came out to help York County.”