Bend council to review city’s snow removal policy

During Wednesday night’s Bend City Council meeting, City Manager Eric King announced the council will review the city’s snow-removal policy next month after many complaints from the public amid recent storms.

After another round snowfall on the High Desert Thursday morning, roads were already clear by the afternoon.

“Mother Nature helped us,” said David Abbas, street director with the city of Bend.

Rain and warmer temperatures made snow removal easier for crews, allowing them to clean residential roads they normally don’t have time to get to, such as after a foot-plus dumping late last month.

More snow is in the forecast, and Abbas said his crews are ready, but he also wants to remind the public that the city does not have the resources to be everywhere at once.

“I mean, to cover all of Bend, bare pavement within 48 hours would be a huge resource need, and all of that equipment would sit idle for 10 months out of the year,” Abbas said.

Abbas said the city does not have a bare pavement policy currently and that they are not allowed to use salt, which is heavily used in other parts of the country.

The council will hold a work session on the issue of snow removal on Jan. 20.