No reduction in snow patrols because of COVID-19

COUNTY NEWS

Los Alamos County Public Works Director Anne Laurent said that crews will be “ready to roll” in implementing the Snow & Ice Control Plan for the County if weather predictions for snow occur Wednesday and Thursday.

“We’ll have our Traffic & Streets crews out on major roadways, clearing snow and keeping streets open for travel,” Laurent said, “It will be ‘business as usual’ for crews in the event of any snow storm. We aren’t going to reduce our level of service.”

For those public facilities that are closed, such as most of the Community Services/Recreation facilities, Laurent said parking lots and sidewalks will not be cleared because the buildings are not open. Bus stops won’t need to be cleared because Atomic City Transit is not operating at this time.

“Having these other closures in place should allow our crews to focus primarily on keeping main roads in Los Alamos and White Rock open,” she said, “although we continue to encourage the public to reduce or eliminate unnecessary travel and stay home if possible, so that we slow the spread of COVID-19 in our community.”

Emergency Manager Beverley Simpson urged residents at home – perhaps with school aged children or telecommuting for work – to use precautions and reconsider the need to clear driveways and sidewalks of snow in the event of any upcoming storms.

“Unless it’s necessary for safety reasons, we encourage everyone to stay indoors, stay healthy and stay safe during this pandemic event,” Simpson said, “Avoid placing yourselves in a situation where you might slip and fall, or suffer from wind and cold exposure.”