Utah City Reconsiders Outsourced Snow Removal
The City of Cottonwood Heights in Utah is reconsidering its contract with a private snow removal company after the company failed to adequately provide services after the city's first major snowfall last week.

Photo via Flickr/Will Merydith

Photo via Flickr/Will Merydith
The City of Cottonwood Heights, Utah, is reconsidering its contract with a private snow removal company after the company failed to adequately provide services after the city's first major snowfall last week.
Cottonwood Heights ended its contract for snow removal services with Salt Lake County earlier this year to reduce costs and hired Terracare. The company underestimated the storm and deployed resources too slowly, according to the Salt Lake Tribune.
On its Facebook page, a city representative wrote that the company has 10 plows in regular rotation as well as one backup plow. The county assigned the city 10 plows as well, and the city believes 10 plows are sufficient. The company only deployed five plows.
"That put us behind the storm and in 'catch up' mode for the rest of the day," the representative wrote on Facebook.
At a Dec. 5 emergency meeting, city leaders reached out to the Utah Department of Transportation and Salt Lake County to bring additional resources to clear city roads. In addition, a city release stated that Terracare's drivers would team up with local drivers on residential streets to "enhance training."
In the same release, officials stated, "While we are watching to see how public works functions are handled in the coming week, the City Council is also exploring all options with regard to the legal and logistical constraints of its contract with Terracare."
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