Following a rough winter storm season, Emporia Public Works is currently looking at some changes to snow and ice removal procedures before winter conditions return to the area later this year.
That was the main takeaway from Emporia Public Works Director Dean Grant, who presented a winter storm response recap to Emporia City Commissioners this past week. While speaking with KVOE News Thursday, Grant noted that while crews showed they are well adept at snow removal and road treatment, the first winter event of the season presented significant challenges due to both the conditions and the condition of city equipment.
With that in mind, Grant says staff are looking into additional procedures and treatments that can aid specifically with ice removal. Grant says the city will be looking at all options with a “prevention first” mentality, meaning they will look at treatment options that help reduce or eliminate ice accumulation before it can begin.
Grant says several factors will play a role in how the city decides to proceed with future treatment processes, starting with a very important question.
Other factors will include finding processes that meet the specific needs of the community with Grant noting Emporia is in a unique place geographically when it comes to winter storm conditions.
As has been reported in recent weeks, the city faced three significant snow events between January and the end of February, with the first event bringing upwards of eight inches of snowfall and between 0.25 to 0.50 inches of ice accumulation, which impacted travel conditions for just over a week. The second and third events brought additional snow totals but were both absent the preceeding ice accumulation, making clearing efforts a bit easier than earlier in the year.
