Joliet Mayor: City Will Use Contractors to Deal With Future Snowfall

After residents complained about the city’s response to the Super Bowl weekend blizzard, Joliet city staff have been directed to come up with a plan for handling future snowstorms, City Manager Jim Hock said in a press release Thursday.

Staff will present Mayor Tom Giarrante and the city council with recommendations on how to better handle major snowfall at the council’s Feb. 17 meeting, Hock said.

The mayor’s plan also calls for hiring contractors who are better equipped to handle heavy snowfall.

“The Mayor, in consultation with the City Manager and Director of Public Works, has decided that, should this type of event occur again, the City will be employing contractors who have the appropriate equipment to assist city snowplow teams in the plowing, salting, and removal of snow from the City’s side streets and subdivisions,” the city said in a release on Thursday.

That didn’t sit well with at least one city councilman.

“Has the Mayor already decided how to handle additional heavy snowfalls?,” Councilman Jim McFarland said Thursday in an email to Hock. “If so, is he within his rights (per City ordinances) to make these decisions without a full council vote? And if this is the case, then why is City staff coming forward with a recommended plan to the council meeting on Feb. 17.”

The City of Joliet got around 15 inches of snow during the Super Bowl weekend storms.

Also on Patch:

• Joliet City Council Addresses Snow Removal Issues
• Joliet Mayor Announces Picks for Rialto Marquee Committee
• Plainfield Student Dies After Collapsing During Basketball Practice

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