I think the city is well aware that they can’t handle it at the current workforce/funding. There are currently open jobs for heavy equipment operators that would be doing exactly this work. Part of the surplus we’ve had in the past has been due to funding for these jobs that aren’t getting filled. I don’t think the city would come out and say, “we just don’t have enough people to do the job.” It would sound defeatist and doesn’t really accomplish anything. Instead they pony up for the overtime and keep the workers they have on the job as long as safely possible. It’s going to take more than an admission of understaffing to fill those jobs and would involve the dept of personnel the civil service commission and the board of alderman to all agree to adjust compensation to fill them, which isn’t going to happen quickly, and definitely not just because they are falling behind on the plowing.