Public works staff presented an after-action assessment of the city's response to the January snow event and described changes intended to improve future operations.

The presentation by public works staff summarized what went right (high staff turnout, few accidents), what went wrong (freezing rain followed by rapid heavy snow and extreme cold, mapping and operational-phasing problems), and what staff will change going forward. Staff highlighted a new mapping/AVL vendor that draws plow tracks instead of changing broad map segment colors, a GIS-led "drive every mile" verification effort that produced point-level condition checks, and expanded operator training.

The assessment emphasized the limits of city control in events with compound weather factors. "We had initial freezing rain followed by a very heavy and rapid dumping of snow, a complete bottoming out of temperatures, and then a second round of snow on top of that," the presenter said, noting those conditions magnified response difficulty. The presenter also credited crews for sustained 12-hour shifts and said the low accident count and absence of lost-time injuries were notable successes.

Staff identified three operational "plans" for different severities: Plan A (treat-only or minor events, under about 4 inches), Plan B (4 to under 8 inches, committed plowing with final cleanup later), and Plan C (8 inches or more, emergency-access focus with single-pass residential openings and activation of broader emergency-management coordination). The speaker said time estimates cited for cleanup begin from the time snow stops falling and that final cleanup (cul-de-sac bulbs, right-turn lanes) often requires daytime heavy equipment and takes several days.

Two recurring problems led to specific changes: the public map and ticket triage. Staff said the previous vendor's GPS-segment coloring could mark a segment as cleared when a truck only passed near it. The new vendor shows continuous plow tracks and a clearer driver view; the public map will include a scrolling banner indicating the active phase of operations to help residents interpret map colors. Staff also said they will stand up a phone/OP CARES triage team earlier in significant events to avoid a backlog of thousands of requests.

Councilmembers asked about snow piled in driveways and assistance for residents who cannot clear windrows. Staff said crews will triage calls and that the city is exploring volunteer coordination through emergency management for targeted help to vulnerable residents. "We will get some phone calls about those and we do typically go and and kind of take a look and triage them," staff said.

Other operational improvements listed by staff included increased, more detailed training for drivers, clearer phasing rules (complete a residential pass once started or reverse order before pausing), and closer coordination between operations, communications, and emergency management. Staff said a public dry-run of the new map produced positive feedback from operators.

The committee heard multiple follow-up questions on forecasts, staffing for real-time map updates, and the city's lane-mile scale (staff said the city manages roughly 2,100 lane miles, about 600 of which are thoroughfares). No formal action was required; the briefing closed with committee thanks to staff and a note that the improvements would be applied going forward.