Good Weather Leaves Piles of Salt; Empty Ames Tow Yards

Both the Ames city yard and the impound lot on either side of Carnegie Avenue were empty Wednesday thanks to unseasonably good weather that was expected to take a turn for the worse Thursday.

On one side men normally would work to prevent accidents on the other men usually work because of them.

The salt dome at the city yard used to store salt to keep roads from freezing was completely full and 600 more tons have been stowed away. The city had used just 13 percent of its $960,000 snow removal budget and little to none of its $35,000 set aside for overtime by noon Wednesday.

Corey Mellies, Public Works Operations Manager, has sent public employees out on other jobs to keep them busy. They've completed concrete work on sewer and street projects that would not be possible had the ground been frozen. Men have worked less overtime than most winters, but there is still two and a half months of winter left, Mellies said.

“I am glad there is no snow,” he said.

The good weather has been good for the budget and crews have remained very productive, he added.

But what's a tow truck driver to do?

Kolt Breer, a service manager, of Elmquist AutoCare Group, who stood guard of an impound lot across the street from the salt dome said the warm weather has been bad for business all the way around. No snow means, no emergency snow route tows, no accidents and no break downs due to bad weather.

Breer was at the impound lot momentarily Wednesday letting drivers pull out of the lot.

The warm weather has also meant less shop work for Elmquist technicians who work at its three Ames auto service locations. Cold weather tends to exacerbate auto care problems, Breer said.

A broken heater isn't a big deal in July, he said.

Business has been so slow that managers have had to let people go home early. The hours they don't work aren't paid, Breer said.