Public Works crews ready for season's first snowstorm

The snowstorm that hit the Rolla area this week was a gentle reminder that we all need to be prepared for possible hazardous weather conditions that affect both road and driving conditions for everyone.

Be assured that the City’s Public Works Director, Steve Hargis, and snow removal crews were well informed of the storm through Accuweather reports, and preparing their fleet of snow removal trucks and salt spreaders to clear the roads well in advance of the storm – working 24 hours a day to get the job done.

Although it’s always hard to predict how much snow the City will receive during any given snowstorm, the Public Works Department is none-the-less up to the challenge of clearing the snow from the City’s 100 miles of streets, municipal parking lots and the many City facilities located around town such as Rolla City Hall, the Rolla Police Department, the two Rolla Fire and Rescue Stations, The Centre, Rolla Recycling Center, Vehicle Maintenance, Sanitation, Rolla Animal Shelter, Street and Traffic buildings, etc.

The main thoroughfares throughout town such as 10th Street, Forum Drive, Pine Street, Salem Avenue, Soest Road, Pinetree, etc. are first roads to be plowed, followed by the many side streets throughout town. Please be patient and be assured that the street that you live on in the City will be plowed as soon as conceivably possible, and that the Street crew works 24 hours a day to ensure the snow is removed as quickly and efficiently as possible.

As we begin the first weeks of a new decade (2010) I thought it would also be appropriate to mention again that our community’s success is based on the power of everyone working together. One sure way we can all help to make this community stronger and enhance our quality of life is very simple. The year 2010 is a census year, and by filling out and mailing back your 2010 Census form, which will be mailed to every household in Rolla during the month of March, we can ensure our community reaches the 20,000 population mark that I think better represents our City’s true population levels. Furthermore, the information collected helps ensure that we get the resources that we need and deserve.

Every year, the federal government can allocate more than $300 billion to states and communities based, in part, on census data. What’s at stake for our community is the loss of $1,300 per year for every person not counted for the next 10 years. This means we could lose out on vital resources for our friends, neighbors and our family.

Census data also determines how many seats each state will have in the U.S. House of Representatives.

With only 10 questions, the 2010 Census questionnaire is one of the shortest questionnaires in history and takes just 10 minutes to complete. Census questionnaires will be delivered or mailed to households via U.S. mail in March 2010. Our community has a lot riding on this and it’s up to each of us to do our part, so please fill out your census form on April 1 and mail it in.