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of compaction could require specialized equipment such as road graders or tandem trucks with underbody blades. These would have to be rented or contracted and would increase costs. Greater quantities of salt and sand would be required to cut through the snow pack; and salt is ineffective at lower temperatures. Again this would increase costs. Finally, the wear and tear on equip- ment is much greater when plowing heavier snows and/or in condi- tions of compaction. We have, at times, had to plow under these conditions and we have had additional repair expenses. The main benefit identified for waiting for heavier snowfalls is supposed cost savings. The major cost savings would be in a storm that lasted only long enough that beginning after 3 or 4 inches of snowfall, the entire city would be completed without overtime costs. This may not be the case since heavier snows may require plowing at lower speeds, therefore negating any time savings. The detriments listed above also indicate that any savings anticipat- ed may not actually materialize. The second issue of concern is that of replacing mail boxes. Our policy is to replace mail boxes that are physically struck by a plow blade or other piece of equipment. If snow rolling off the blade damages the mail box, then the City does not participate in the repair of the mail box. If the cause of the damage is disput- ed, the Clerk-Administrator determines the issue with appeals handled by Council. Most other cities have similar policies. There have been some residents that feel the mail box should be replaced by the City in any case that snow plowing operations are the cause of the damage. This would include old posts that are rotten and can no longer support the mail box when snow is blown onto it, or possibly improperly installed mail boxes that are too close to the road or are too low. In discussing this issue with our operators, it became apparent that in many instances resi- dents do not contact the City and make repairs themselves, and in other instances have asked for repairs when other vehicles have caused the damage. While we have not kept records of mail boxes damaged by snow rolling off plow blades, the staff believes there are probably 2 to 3 dozen instances each year. In a bad year maybe 50 mail boxes are damaged. If the Council determines to accept responsibility for any snow plow operations damage, the cost would be approx- imately $25 per mail box plus labor for installation, or roughly up to $1, 250 per year and 25 to 30 hours of labor at $20 per hour. Another concern is the blocking of sidewalks and drives when private snow plow operators clear private property such as park- ing lots and driveways. Many of these operators plow snow over a sidewalk as they plow a parking lot or drive and do not return to clean the sidewalk which leaves a windrow of snow across the sidewalk. In some instances this can occur as snow is pushed past a driveway also. Often the plow operator plows snow out of a lot and across the street to leave the snow on the opposite side from where it originated. This can cause subsequent plowing problems and in some cases is the cause of blocked driveways. Our ordi-