Jefferson City Public Works says old equipment could lead to slower road treatment during winter

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

As winter weather makes its way into Mid-Missouri, road crews are prepping across the area. But for Jefferson City Public Works, old equipment could cause some issues.

Operation Division Director for Jefferson City Public Works Britt Smith said about ten of their snowplows, which are used year-round for other projects, are past their life expectancy.

"We are just doing what we can with the equipment we have," Smith said. "We have great mechanics and some great operators and they can do a lot, but when you have older equipment, it does breakdown more often."

He said none of the older trucks are at the point they are dangerous to use, but the trucks tend to break down more often, which leads to more time needed to clear off the roads.

"Whenever you are in the middle of a snow fight and that truck breaks down, while he's in the shop for an hour or an hour and a half, that road is getting less tended to, and therefore we aren't able to keep up with that road as much as we'd like too," Smith said.

Smith said this boils down to a budget issue. Each of the ten trucks costs roughly $80,000 dollars, and the public works department has worked with city council in years past to address the issue.

Director of Public Works Matt Morasch said it's not easy to get a large budget item through this in any city government.

"You're competing with all kinds of things for money each year, so there's really no queue, it's a new process," Morash said. "And these are all of of the general fund, and that's not just public works, but fire, police and things like that."

He said they will likely request a large dollar amount anywhere from $600,000 to $1 million during the next budget period for new trucks, which they have done for several years.

Another concern with the older equipment is higher maintenance costs.

"As equipment ages, your maintenance budget goes up to keep those trucks on the roadways during snow events," Morasch said. "The public should understand we're still plowing the streets and we take great pride in doing a good job at that."

Mayor Carrie Tergin said the full council and the Public Works and Planning committee have spoken about these issues. She said this would likely be discussed n more detail closer to the annual budget discussions.

"If the needs arise sooner, we would take that up as needed," Tergin said. "That does happen with any other needs as well, when we realize that certain things become a priority, we can certainly look at that at that time."

Tergin said there are many priorities for city council, like public safety, so keeping the roads safe is essential. She mentioned that the budget is impacted by local sales tax, and emphasized that shopping local can help fund these issues.

"We do all have a part in funding those things and those priorities, and that we do have a part in keeping our community safe as well," Tergin said.