Even Shovels Get Thrown At Plows: Darien Official

DARIEN, IL — Tensions rise among residents during repeated snowstorms, and that's something a top Darien official says the city recognizes.

"It's one of those things — frustrations run high during these times," Dan Gombac, Darien's municipal services director, said during Tuesday's City Council meeting. "We've had people throwing shovels at our trucks once in a while. It hasn't happened in a while. Tempers run high, and we understand that."

He told the council the city was renting machinery Tuesday from a vendor, so it could knock down some larger snow piles that are blocking drivers' line of sight. That prompted aldermen to tick off spots that needed attention.

Alderwoman Mary Sullivan then asked whether residents should call the city with requests about areas to take care of.

Gombac responded that officials needed to be cautious with residents' requests. Over the last couple of snowstorms, he said, residents have talked about snow piles in their driveways' approaches, known as aprons.

"It's too much snow at one time," he said. "We'll do what we can. But we can't promise we'll get into every resident's apron or end of driveway that has snow and that we'll take it out of there."

Alderman Eric Gustafson said none of the residents with whom he has spoken knew that they were barred from parking on city streets when snowfall exceeds an inch. They figured it was two or three inches, he said.

Gombac said he has found most residents are well-educated on the city's rules and do not park on the streets during snowstorms. Only when a resident is consistently violating the rule does public works call the police department, which either issues a ticket or a warning, he said.

"In most cases, it works out," Gombac said.