Residents complain of snowplow favoritism; staff outlines plow schedule and priorities

Public commenters at the Jan. 7 Columbia Falls City Council meeting pressed the council and staff about inconsistent snow-removal practices and alleged favoritism by plow crews.

Matt Hutchinson, identified at the meeting as the commenter who raised the issue, said he had “pictures of it. I have video of it,” and asked whether favoritism explained why some driveways were repeatedly cleared while others were left blocked. “Is there favoritism going on? What is the deal here?” he asked during public comment.

A staff member responded that the city uses a call-out schedule and directs plow crews based on the amount of snow and input from the police department. The staff member explained there are six plow drivers on duty plus floaters and that crews prioritize emergency routes first, then arterial or other priority streets, followed by residential streets and sidewalks. The staff member also said crews work set hours and return after rest periods to continue clearing berms and driveways.

Residents described the challenge of repeatedly clearing driveways after plows return to main routes. One commenter praised a crew member named Matt for making multiple passes and later cleaning driveways: “He did, like, 4 passes, and then he came back and actually cleaned out the driveway areas,” the commenter said.

Staff said they would email the council with the plow-priority list and that the city tries to balance priority routes and response to calls from the police department. No formal action was recorded; the topic was discussed during public comment and staff follow-up.