MEYERS, Calif. – A restless crowd demanded answers and solutions from the district offices of El Dorado County on Thursday night, after learning that snow removal services would be far more limited than in years past. The main reason for these limited operations lies in the lower pay offered to potential snow removal employees.

District 5 Supervisor Brooke Laine brought Department of Transportation (DOT) director Rafael Martinez to Meyers to help explain what’s happening with snow removal operations this upcoming winter. In February, Laine was told that there weren’t enough staff to clear the roads, and she urged the DOT to address this issue. And though the DOT believed there would be enough staff for both day and night shifts, in October, this proved to not be the case.

For the unincorporated counties, snow removal from the county is vital in providing them a way to get to work, school, and to other services. But as it stands, there is a deficit of employees to cover the night shift of plowing. And while the DOT is anticipating potential hires of four new employees, those hires have also applied to other snow removal jobs in the area. Martinez said, “The chances of getting those four employees are slim.”

Currently, El Dorado County pays less than Caltrans, Placer County, the City of South Lake Tahoe, and Washoe County, a far cry from its years of having the highest compensation in the basin. Martinez cited a less diverse budget portfolio and budget cuts in years with less heavy snow.

The DOT director expressed his regret in being unable to “provide the services that [these areas] deserve,” and announced that it was possible that in the current state of things, they might have 48 hour waits for snow removal—a statement that caused a stir among the packed audience.

And though Measure S enabled the purchase of new equipment, such as two new snowblowers, it isn’t allowed to be used to raise the salaries of workers. That budgeting decision isn’t in the hands of Martinez or Laine—labor negotiations and unions are involved, as well as three other District Supervisors: Lori Parlin, Wendy Thomas, and George Turnboo. None of these three supervisors were present at the meeting.

After the presentation, Laine opened the floor to audience questions and comment. Many lined up to express their confusion about logistics: how long the snow removal day shift was, when it started, and what to realistically expect given the cutbacks on snow removal service. Others expressed their anger and disappointment that this issue wasn’t addressed sooner and that the people who could make a change weren’t present at the meeting.

Medical staff from Barton spoke about how vital it was for them to get to work, especially when they work night shifts. Parents expressed the impact it would have on their families to be unable to get to work or get their kids to school. And the prospect of being snowed in for more and more days stirred negative emotions in all who spoke.

One audience member was very candid about how she felt. “This is honestly terrifying… not being able to have emergency services or leave our houses is so scary to me.”

Several people emphasized the importance of timely responses for medical emergencies—which would be impossible if snow removal wasn’t completed. “When someone dies, is that when you’re going to pay more money?” asked one audience member.

Laine closed out the meeting by saying, “My promise to you is that from now, until this problem is fixed, this is my top priority.” She then urged the audience to get in contact with the other three supervisors to express the need for snow removal services and higher pay for the employees.

Lori Parlin can be reached at bosfour@edcgov.us, Wendy Thomas at bosthree@edcgov.us, and George Turnboo at bostwo@edc.gov.us.

Eli Ramos is a reporter for Tahoe Daily Tribune. They are part of the 2024–26 cohort of California Local News Fellows through UC Berkeley.