'Unacceptable': Milwaukee aldermen, residents upset at city snow removal after weekend storm

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Some Milwaukee aldermen and homeowners are frustrated with snow removal and cleanup.

They say some streets are still covered in snow – days after this weekend’s storm.

CBS 58 found JM shoveling snow on her block Tuesday, Feb. 2.

The Milwaukee resident told us she’s also been helping drivers break free from this mush on the corner.

“We pushed out so many cars yesterday and the day before,” said JM.

For the last two days, she said her family’s parked correctly, on the odd side of the street.

But she says a city plow was slow to come.

“You gotta wait two, three days. It gets hard, heavy. People ain’t as young as they used to be out here with this heavy snow,” she said.

On Tuesday, city aldermen Khalif Rainey and Russell Stamper, II issued a joint news release.

Neither were free to speak on camera, but they called DPW’s snow removal efforts “unacceptable."

“How many times would you say you called?” asked CBS 58’s Kim Shine.

“At least five or six times,” said one of JM’s neighbors who did not wish to be named.

With all the remaining snow, this neighbor says she’s worried about drivers having accidents.

“I’m a homeowner, and I pay taxes and our streets should be plowed right, you know. It’s just not fair to the taxpayers in Milwaukee,” she said.

DPW told CBS 58 crews worked all night to clear main and residential streets where no cars were parked.

They are now using specialized equipment for the narrow and heavily-parked streets.

In a statement to CBS 58, Commissioner of Public Works Jeff Polenske wrote:

"The Department of Public Works continues to actively clear the 7,000 lane miles that exist throughout the city of Milwaukee, with a round the clock operation that began Saturday night. We recognize the public’s urgency to get back to normal, but this winter storm was anything but normal. We are up against Mother Nature, and she has hit us with the deepest snow we’ve seen in a decade. The magnitude of this storm created some unique challenges for addressing some of our narrow and highly parked streets. In many cases we had to deploy special equipment that was small enough to navigate the narrow space resulting in an extended clearing operation. We appreciate the public’s patience as we continue to deploy all available personnel and equipment to tackle these severe conditions. We also ask for the public’s assistance by complying with the City’s winter parking regulations so that we can plow the streets in the most effective and timely manner."