Columbia Public Works crews conduct annual dry snow run with new drivers

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The City of Columbia conducted its annual dry snow run training exercise to prepare for winter weather.

Crews drove through the streets of Columbia to help train several new employees after administrators said they lost 12 workers in seven months.

Engineering and Operations Manager Richard Stone said the city would have liked to retain their veteran drivers.

“(We) would prefer that we have, you know, veterans that we would retain employment. We weren’t able to do that for some positions," Stone said. "But, you know, having those new people in, we will get them trained up and be prepared to get out there and address winter weather.”

The purpose of the run is to review safety procedures and practice snow routes for winter-weather responses, according to a press release from Thursday.

Stone said that the best way for crews to learn how to plow snow is to get is to drive the streets of Columbia.

A majority of the participants of the exercise will left between 9:30-10 a.m. from the Grissum Building on 1313 Lakeview Ave., the “central hub” for snow operations.

When accumulations are fewer than 4 inches, crews focus on priority routes during normal business hours but will go into other areas if time and conditions on priority routes allow, according to a press release from Thursday.

More information can be found at CoMoSnow.com.