MINOT, N.D. (AP) - A committee investigating changes to Minot’s snow plan says more equipment - and more money - might be the only way to speed up snow removal on city streets.
Assistant public works director Jason Sorenson didn’t have many recommendations for Minot City Council’s Public Works and Safety Committee on March 29, but he said that the amount of equipment and personnel available to tackle snow removal during big storms might need to change.
“They say if you want to get through the town faster, you need more people and more equipment,” Sorenson said after the Public Works Department contacted other cities about their snow removal efforts.
Minot has eight blades and three plows and typically takes 72 to 96 hours to make a pass through the city, the Minot Daily News (https://bit.ly/2o6NqAH) reported.
Sorenson said Minot’s snow removal efforts were complicated this winter due to equipment breakdowns.
The Public Works Department has proposed to lease an additional four blades. Sorenson said the city may need to lease newer equipment that is less prone to breakdown.
He said more equipment would make it easier to get a replacement piece on the road if there is a breakdown but costs will be higher.
“If we want to do things faster, we certainly can, but it does require money and resources,” Committee Chairwoman Miranda Schuler said. “What level of service do we want and what are we willing to pay or give up to have it?”
The committee will not be sending any recommendations to the council. The Public Works Department will instead incorporate ideas for improvements into the proposed 2018 budget.
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Information from: Minot Daily News, https://www.minotdailynews.com
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