Public Works to Focus on Snow Operations, Trash Pick-up Services Cancelled for Remainder of Week

Due to the Winter Storm Warning issued by the National Weather Service predicting 12-18 inches of snowfall, the City of Sedalia Public Works Department is preparing for a significant snow event over the balance of this week, Jan. 31 through Feb. 4, 2022. Additionally, the incoming winter storm is forcing the City to cancel trash operations for the rest of the week. All trash collections for Wednesday through Friday will be cancelled as crews prepare to deal with the incoming snow and ice. Regular trash collections will resume on Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022.

Residents are reminded that when more than 2 inches of snow/sleet/ice is expected within a 24-hour period, the City declares a snow emergency and the Emergency Snow Routes are put into effect. Parking is prohibited along Emergency Snow Routes once the snow emergency occurs. Emergency Snow Routes help improve traffic flow after a snowstorm or significant icing by declaring a parking ban along the designated routes to expedite snow or ice clearing. The Street crews work to keep these designated streets as clear as possible to allow for emergency vehicle use.

The map below details which city streets are designated Emergency Snow Routes as well as those designated by the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT).

Priority 1 plowing ensures the Emergency Snow Routes are passable for first responders. Priority 2 plowing will typically begin with more than 4″ of snow accumulation to ensure that residential streets are passable to emergency services and the general public as necessary upon completion of Priority 1. Residents should be aware the city does not immediately plow residential streets and alleys. With over 140 miles of City streets to plow, the first focus is on clearing emergency snow routes, and then working with the Sanitation Department on those alleys that are used for garbage collection.

During snow events, Public Works frequently receives calls from residents asking why snow plows leave snow deposited at the end of their driveways or on sidewalks. Snow plows are designed to push snow to the side. Snow then is deposited at the end of driveways and onto sidewalks as a byproduct of plowing the street. Drivers plow at low speeds (10-15 mph) to minimize this issue, but this problem becomes more challenging when there are larger accumulations of snow. For the same reason, snow ends up in driveways and sidewalks, it also ends up in street intersections. Plow drivers do their best to keep these piles (or windrows) small, but their first job is to get the street passable. Once streets have been plowed, crews come back and knock these windrows down as time allows.

During 2020-2021, the City has been repairing and replacing sidewalks. Residents and businesses in the areas where new concrete sidewalks have been installed should not use salt on the new concrete surface for removal of ice and snow. Salt can damage concrete by causing corrosion to occur under the surface, leading to discolored, cracked and crumbling concrete. Especially, the first winter for areas with new concrete. Public Works encourages residents and businesses to use sand when necessary to increase traction as it will not cause damage to the new concrete surface.

The City encourages everyone to check for current travel conditions at MoDOT’s “Traveler Info Map” available at their website www.modot.org.