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Residents press commission on snow removal; officials say after-action review underway
Summary
Multiple residents criticized the city's residential snow response after a recent storm; city staff and commissioners said an after-action report is being prepared and that they are seeking county and military assistance options for future storms.
Scott Kellogg, a Junction City resident, told the commission the city's handling of a recent heavy snowstorm left residential streets impassable for days and raised public-safety and quality-of-life concerns. "We had people stuck in their residential neighborhoods for a week," Kellogg said. "This is not just public convenience. This is public safety."
Kellogg urged the city to adopt a transportation safety matrix tying response levels to snowfall and anticipated freeze days. "Please rectify this," he said, adding that residential areas have been treated as an afterthought under current policy.
Commissioners and city staff acknowledged gaps and said they are preparing an after-action report. A speaker identified in the transcript as Kim Zimmerman (city staff) said staff reached out to Riley County and Fort Riley to request equipment assistance and that the city deployed multiple private contractors and existing municipal vehicles during the event. "We drove over 4,000 miles and used a heck of a lot of sand and snow trying to clear the street," Zimmerman said, and added the city spent roughly $130,000 in the first 48 hours on snow response.
City officials said they had limited equipment (four plow trucks and several smaller vehicles, two of which experienced mechanical failures) and were also understaffed. Commissioner comments agreed the policy needs review and noted additional budget consideration for next year to improve residential response and equipment readiness.
Why it matters: Residents described medical and safety concerns from slow or uneven residential clearing and urged the commission to change policy and budget priorities. City staff said they followed existing policy and are assembling an after-action report that staff and the commission will use to consider policy or budget changes, including increased equipment, temporary use of private haulers, and mutual-aid arrangements.
Discussion vs. decision: The meeting record shows public comment and staff discussion; commissioners acknowledged the need for changes and directed staff to produce an after-action report. No formal policy change or budget appropriation was approved at the meeting.
Ending: Officials said an after-action report should be available within weeks and that the commission will consider it and budgetary adjustments in the coming fiscal cycle.
