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Training begins today to add more drivers to KCMO snow removal plan

KCMO snowplow training.jpeg
Posted at 9:59 AM, Jan 16, 2021
and last updated 2021-01-16 20:43:07-05

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Employees in the solid waste division of Kansas City, Missouri, spent Saturday morning learning how to operate snow plows, salt spreaders, follow a route and use the radio inside plow trucks.

The training is part of a plan new city manager Brian Platt announced earlier in the month to improve the city’s snow removal process.

The plan calls for training about 100 extra city employees from solid waste and water departments to operate snow plows. Maggie Green, a spokesperson for the public works department, said the extra drivers will allow the city to better plow residential streets.

“In our old snow program, we didn’t do neighborhood streets at night,” she explained. “With this new snow plan, we have more people. We’re able to do overnight runs on the neighborhood streets now with additional salting and additional plowing.”

Green added the city purchased an extra 10,000 tons of salt to ensure it has enough to cover residential streets as the city expands its attention on those roads.

“It really is a team effort and I think the vision from the city manager is helping coalesce all of our snow plans so we provide better snow service to KCMO residents,” Green pointed out.

Saturday’s training was on city-owned parking lots. Next week, training continues on roadways.