Curb-to-curb
You’ve probably seen St. Paul host Joe Wollett around the building on Sunday mornings or Wednesday evenings. He’s been a staple of St. Paul for the past four years. But what does Joe do when he’s not providing hospitality?
It’s February in the Midwest. Cold temperatures are here, snow is usually inescapable, and, while February is technically the shortest month of the calendar year, it often feels like the longest. According to the Iowa Department of Transportation, a typical Iowa winter can see about 32 inches of snow plus freezing rain, and other inclement weather events. It’s been a rather tame winter so far, not to jinx it, but every snowfall, every freezing drizzle requires lots of help to keep roads safe.
Individual cities oversee the removal of snow and ice on streets within the city limits. City employees from the streets, sanitation, and sewer departments are the crews that cover both day and night salting and plowing shifts for the City of Bettendorf. The city has more than 30 members in their snowplow crew responsible for salting and clearing the streets.
By day, St. Paul member and welcome host Joe Wollett works in the sanitation department for the City of Bettendorf but by night, he takes on the role of snowplow operator. This is Joe’s fourth year in the driver’s seat. From Nov. 15 through March 31, he is on call seven days a week, either for the day shift (10 a.m.-10 p.m.) or the evening shift (10 p.m.-10 a.m.), ready within less than an hour to hop in the truck and plow his route.
“Just last night, the phone rang at 9:20 p.m., and I was in the truck by 10 p.m. We get called when we get called. If the roads are slick, it’s safe to guess I’ll be going out to salt. The first four times we got called out this year were all for salting the roads,” Joe said. “I started my job with the city on a Wednesday in January 2021 and the following Saturday, I was in the plow. The first three times we went out to plow, I rode with someone. After those three times, they let me go by myself.”
The City of Bettendorf has a 24-hour curb-to-curb policy, meaning it takes many hands to get the streets cleared in just 24 hours. Joe’s route covers Middle Road down to the Mississippi River and the Davenport/Bettendorf border to 14th Street. Salting takes about four hours to cover all surfaces. Plowing snow takes much longer.
“We start on the main roads to get those cleared first because of the high amount of traffic those roads will see. Next, we move to arterial roads (roads that connect local roads to highways and other higher activity areas). Then we focus on hills and move into residential areas,” Joe said. “Depending on the day of the week, we may need to shift our priority to schools and churches. The residential areas can be the most difficult because of the width of the roads. Some of the streets on my route are the original, much older streets, so they’re very narrow. When cars are parked on those streets, it’s difficult or impossible for the truck to fit through them. We document which streets can’t be cleared and send a smaller truck out the next day.”
Joe can work his garbage route for the City of Bettendorf and still report for a 12-hour snowplow shift at 10 p.m. Last year saw record snowfall in the early and middle part of January and was one of Joe’s busiest weeks.
“In January 2024, we had a weeklong snowstorm. We saw more than 15 inches of snow in one day and more than 25 inches of snow that week alone,” Joe said. “I would report for work at 7 a.m., work my garbage route, dump the garbage truck, take a short lunch, and then hop in the snowplow. We were all working about 15-hour days. That week I worked about 84 hours.”
This year, snowfall has been lighter than is typical. According to meteorologists, we are currently in a La Niña pattern in 2025, predicting that the pattern will continue through the rest of the winter. What does that mean for snowfall and temperatures this winter?
The La Niña pattern tends to lead to mild temperatures and less snowfall, which is exactly what we’re experiencing right now. At the end of 2024 and into mid-January 2025, the Quad Cities region has only seen mild snowfall with most weather events generating only a dusting of snow at a time.
Joe stays busy even when the snow is light. He serves as a St. Paul welcome host on some Saturday and Wednesday evenings, all Sunday mornings, and other various events and evening activities.
Joe and his wife Rachel first came to St. Paul in 2011 when their kids were in first grade and kindergarten, and they were looking for a church with robust children’s programming. Joe began helping to run the tech booth on Sundays alongside Todd Byerly and then more than ten years ago, he started as a welcome host.
The main role of the welcome hosts is to ensure all who enter the St. Paul doors feel right at home and they do so much more than that. If they’re not turning on lights, unlocking doors, filling coffee pots, or serving donuts, they may be found answering phones or guiding someone to their destination.
“Between working at St. Paul and working for the City of Bettendorf, I feel like I’m doing an act of service to the public and God,” Joe said. “It’s my way to better the community and keep the roads safe.”
During the next big snowstorm, maybe this year, maybe next year, when you get in your car and drive smoothly along a nicely plowed road, think of Joe and the many workers spread across our various cities who help make your commute a little less slippery and a lot more drivable. If you keep your eyes peeled, you may even see truck #2303 and Joe out on the roads. Give him a wave.
Barb Kuttler
Always nice to see your welcoming presence when we come into church – glad to know more about you. Thank you for all you do for us!
Marcia Willi
Nice to find out more about you, Joe! Thanks for helping to keep roads safe and for being a host @ St. Paul
Sheila Mesick
Joe thank you for your service to the community of Bettendorf and to the community at St. Paul’s. It all matters so very much.