McCook adds to its arsenal of weapons against snow, ice

In reviewing the annual snow removal and ice control procedures, McCook Public Works Director Kyle Potthoff told the council Monday night that a surplus snow plow has been purchased from the Nebraska Department of Roads, giving the city a total of four surplus state plows.

The plow will work better on city streets than a smaller truck that had difficulty getting through, he said.

An additional 3/4-ton four-wheel-drive pickup up with a plow also will be added to the city fleet sometime this winter.

The city also plans to add a second pre-treating tank that will help in applying salt brine from the water treatment plant to streets, that will minimize the amount of snow and ice sticking to road surfaces.

Councilman Aaron Kircher asked about removing the piles of snow cleared from the streets and left at medians and Potthoff replied that the city's first priority is to get the streets open, then come back and haul away the snow at the medians, but that the city would stay on top of it.

"I just want to make sure that it's not left day upon day," Kircher said.

Councilman Kircher also reminded the public that they could call city offices if snow removal in their area was not addressed in a timely manner.

Potthoff said new emergency snow route signs have been added for the public, that are blue and white. The signs designate major streets in the city that are emergency snow routes and are first to be cleared of snow.