City postpones trash operations for rest of week
The incoming winter storm is forcing the City of Kansas City to postpone trash operations for the rest of this week, the city announced on Monday.
All trash, recycling and scheduled bulky items pick up appointments for Tuesday through Friday will be canceled as crews prepare to deal with the incoming snow and ice.
The city has strategically upgraded its snow operations plan to include:
.increasing the amount of salting during storms
.adding overnight shifts to residential routes
.instituting a more aggressive approach to snow removal on residential streets
.plowing multi-lane arterial streets with multiple trucks working in tandem to make sure the street is fully cleared on the first pass
.assigning all available employees in solid waste and the water department to snow operations during every snow event
.deploying additional snow removal vehicles throughout snow removal operations
.improving communication and coordination during snow operations
.identifying additional municipal fleet vehicles that can be deployed for snow removal
Suspending all trash and recycling services will allow our drivers to focus on preparing for the snow and ice and then actually plowing snow to keep the roads clear. Over 200 employees from Public Works, Solid Waste, Parks & Recreation and KC Water will report Tuesday to begin aggressively pre-treating roads, followed by salting and plowing as snow accumulates.
Specifically, this means:
.No trash, recycling or bulky item pickup on Tuesday, Feb. 1, through Friday, Feb. 4.
.These residents affected will be allowed to place four bags of trash out on their normal trash day next week. Curbside recycling is unlimited.
.Solid waste staff will be contacting residents with bulky item appointments via the email address provided at the time the appointment was scheduled. Those without emails will be contacted via a phone call.
These impacts are necessary as part of the city’s snow plan, which prioritizes improved snow removal services across the city.
Although city offices will be closed for in-person meetings on Wednesday and Thursday, staff will operate virtually and remotely. Most city business can also be conducted online at kcmo.gov. All municipal court hearings, including domestic violence cases, will be virtual on Wednesday and Thursday. Go to www.kcmo.gov/court <www.kcmo.gov/court> and click Virtual Hearing for more information.
City council meetings are set to continue virtually. Members of the public who wish to participate in a council meeting can find the agendas and virtual meeting links at the city clerk’s website. To simply watch a meeting tune in to Channel 2 on your cable provider or the city’s YouTube channel.
All drivers are reminded to exercise caution, especially around snow plow operators, allow extra travel time, and park off-street where possible, or on the north and west sides of neighborhood streets. Parking cars on only one side of residential streets will help plows clear your streets faster and more completely.
The city says it will enact its extreme weather plan to protect houseless residents when the daytime high is below 32 degrees, or the overnight low is less than 20 degrees. The forecast calls for such conditions starting early Wednesday through Friday.
