b'WINTER OPERATIONSUES19he says. Ultimately, we all operateWaukesha County under the Department of Public WorksPublic Information umbrellahighway, fleet, engineering andOfficer Hillary Mintz airportand our success comes fromsuggested the idea supporting one another as one team. of creating movie Clearly, having Zembruski in charge ofspoofs to help all Public Works equipment has benefitedattract applicants for the airport, and its just one reason Stanichseasonal positions,HILLARY MINTZcalls him the equipment guru.and Stanich agreed to give it a try. Mintz, who previously worked While Zembruskis experience is not inas a television reporter, helped produce the aviation industry, Stanich appreciatesthe first video, which was patterned after that he understands how highly specialized airport snow equipment isand knows that options for larger units are limited. Case in point: A timely call Zembruski made to Minneapolis-St. Paul InternationalFACTS&FIGURES Airport (MSP) led to a deal that broughtProject: In-House Snow Removal Programfour of its older Oshkosh vehicles to UES:Location: Waukesha County Airport-Crites Field, a runway sweeper, two plows and a snowin WIblower. They were exceptionally wellOwner/Operator: Waukesha County maintained, and we believe they still haveKey Components: Acquiring new equipment; significant service life, he notes.recruiting permanent & seasonal workersAirport employees handle daily equipmentAirport Footprint: 577 acres, with 5,849-ft. concrete runway & 3,599-ft. asphalt runwayinspections and make minor adjustments,2025 Aircraft Operations: About 94,000 but more substantial work such as changing(16,587 from Oct.-Dec.)oil, fixing hydraulic leaks, performingTenants: 1,300annual inspections and refurbishing unitsBased Aircraft: 247is performed at the countys maintenanceWinter Season: Oct. to April, with avg. snowfall of facility about one mile from the airport.40-46 inchesZembruski acknowledges thatSwitch From Outside Snow Removal maintaining older equipment can beContractors: 2022 challenging, but the associated cost- Current In-House Crew: 5 full-time employees, The Equipment Guru16 part-time drivers, 1 part-time Operations staff savings make the challenges worthwhile. Over the last three years, UES hasMaintaining that balance became moremembersubstantially expanded its equipment fleetdifficult after Oshkosh sold its snowSeasonal Labor Budget: $50,000/yr.with support from Waukesha County. (Seeproducts division to M-B Companies in2025 Snow Equipment & Maintenance equipment list in box to the right for specifics.) 2023. M-B has indicated that they will beBudget: $130,000Stanich creditssunsetting parts support for equipmentCurrent Fleet: Thomas Zembruski,over 20 years old, which is nearly all of our 21995 Oshkosh H-2718Bs (can be used with snowblowers or brooms) fleet manager for theunits, says Zembruski, adding that future2 1998 H-2723s (dedicated snowplow units) countys Departmentpurchases for UES will likely involve new2005 Oshkosh H-2718B, refurbished in 2021of Public Works,vendors, training and warranties. Price 2 015 Case 621F Front-End Loader with Metal with identifyingalone isnt enough. In airport operations,Pless plow bladeand negotiatingreliability, service response, warranty 2016 CAT 289D Skid Steerinnovative equipmentTHOMAS ZEMBRUSKI support and safety are important, he 2011 Freightliner M2 112 with dual wings & plowopportunities. Foremphasizes.2 015 Chevy 3500 Dump Truck with plowinstance, Zembruski has transferred older& spreaderunits from the Highway Department to theHollywood on Line 12017 Ford F250 with plow & spreaderairport, including a front-end loader with aFinding qualified personnel to operateRecruitment Tool: Humorous homemade videos fully articulating Metal Pless plow blade.snow removal equipment is difficult forthat parody popular aviation movies to help attract seasonal snowplow operators Unlike private industry, government andmany general aviation airports, but UESAirplane! Spoof: https://youtu.be/wcVp6X8VWLQquasi-government agencies can call onseems to have cracked the code with funnyTop Gun Spoof: https://youtu.be/8LutZfrn9zYpeer agencies, share advice and help eachhomemade recruitment videos. Noteworthy Details: Busiest general aviation other improve processes or save money,airport in WI; Terminal Aerodrome Forecast site AirportImprovement.comMarch | April 2026'