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Council Calls for New Snow Removal Plan

Snow plows have cleaned the main thoroughfares in the lingering storm system, but the city was criticized for its service on neighborhood streets.
Snow plows have cleaned the main thoroughfares in the lingering storm system, but the city was criticized for its service on neighborhood streets.

http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kcur/local-kcur-879125.mp3

Kansas City, MO – Besieged with complaints about snow removal on residential streets, the Kansas City City Council discussed the matter at length Thursday. And they took their first action to try to improve the service the same day.

The council learned that Kansas City has already overspent its $2.5 million dollar snow removal budget by $300,000, and that situations like the repeated snows and below freezing temperatures are not covered in the city snow removal plan.

Councilman Terry Riley proposed that the council ask the city manager for a revised, comprehensive snow removal plan within 20 days: "I would like to have a three phase plan in place so that people can know - this is Kansas City's plan and all we have to do is go out there and execute it each time."

Riley's suggestion was adopted at the afternoon legislative session.

In addition to providing for extremely difficult storms, the plan is to include suggestions for working with other municipalities, the county, school districts and private contractors to minimize snow removal costs.

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