Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Farmington could face another issue when the snow season hits.
“One of my big problems is to get somebody to plow snow this winter,” said first-year Mayor Ron Dugan at the Aug. 13 city council meeting.
It requires a Commercial Driver’s License, Class B.
“It’s an ideal job for farmers, retired people but not an ideal job for people with jobs,” said Dugan, noting the need to be on call at any hour the snow hits.
“I’m not gonna plow snow,” said Dugan, who has performed duties as mayor such as spraying weeds at the sewage lagoon.
Once harvest is over, Dugan said he will send out a notice to residents asking for help.
If he doesn’t get the required person, there are other options he is pursuing.
He has called Olympia to inquire about exemptions.
“As far as I can interpret it, states have the prerogative to exempt certain (license) classifications, and snowplow driving is one,” said Dugan.
However, the state of Washington has not exempted it.
“They let 14-year-olds drive grain trucks and combines but won’t let a mature adult push snow around at 10 miles an hour,” said Dugan.
A Class B CDL requires 48 hours of training, including classroom and street. The cost for the permit and license is $191. Training is offered by private companies, whose prices vary.
Dugan speculated at the council meeting that the town would reimburse the cost of getting the license to anyone who would want to drive the plow for Farmington.
It all presents a challenge.
“To do things by the book in a small town is tough,” he said.
Farmington’s plow is a dump truck with a blade attached.
A driver with just a pickup and blade does not require a special license. Dugan said he thought the dump truck’s blade was too big to attach to a pickup.
The past two years, before Dugan took office, the spouse of previous mayor Laura Hokenson plowed snow.
Before that, Royce Johnson, city superintendent and mayor, plowed.
Whitman County does not plow snow within towns, so it is the responsibility of city government.
Mayor Dugan is also working on getting three pesticide licenses to allow him to spray weeds at the sewage lagoons. As of now, he needs to ride along with a farmer who is certified.
In the end, though, there are things he won’t do.
“I’m 72 years old, I’m not gonna go out there at 4 a.m. in the winter and plow snow. I don’t have a Class B CDL and I’m not about to get one either.”
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
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