• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Subscribe
Program Guide
Watch Live

CCX Media

Skip NavigationMenu
  • News
    • Close
        • CCX News
          • CCX News Home
          • News Stories
            • CCX Daily Newcast
          • CCX News Special Reports
          • CCX Media Schools
        • Feature Segments

          • Business Matters
          • School Spotlight
          • Standout Student
          • Weekend Showcase
          • Newsmakers
        • News Tip

          Send us a story idea or news tip!
          Facebook Instagram Twitter
          Watch Live
          CCX1 | CCX2 | CCX3
        • Apple News
    • Close
  • Sports
    • Close
        • CCX Sports
          • CCX Sports Home
          • Sports Tips
          • Hall of Fame
          • Upcoming Event Coverage
          • Play of the Week
        • Sports Coverage

          Adapted SportsAdditional SportsBaseballBasketballFootball
          GymnasticsHockeyLacrosseSoccerSoftball
          Swimming & DivingTennisTrack & FieldVolleyballWrestling
        • Social Media

          Facebook Twitter Instagram
          Watch Live
          CCX1 | CCX2 | CCX3
          Shop/Order
    • Close
  • Cities
    • Close
        • CCX Cities
          • CCX Cities Home
          • The Connection
          • In The Community
          • Our Town’s Story
          • Community Resources
          • CCX Media Schools
          • City Meetings
        • Your City

          Brooklyn Center Local News and Events
          Brooklyn Park MN Local News and Events
          Crystal
          Golden Valley
          Maple Grove
          New Hope
          Osseo
          Plymouth
          Robbinsdale
        • Social Media

          Facebook Twitter
          Watch Live
          CCX1 | CCX2 | CCX3
    • Close
  • Create
    • Close
        • CCX Create
          • CCX Create Home
          • Channels
          • Resources
          • Meet The Create Team
          • CCX Create Virtual Tour
        • Get Creative

          • Make Your Own Show
          • Free Classes
          • Contact Us
          • Polka Spotlight
          • Diversity Minute
        • RueShare

          • Member Login
          • Member Guide
        • Social Media

          Facebook Twitter Instagram
          Watch Live
          CCX1 | CCX2 | CCX3
    • Close
  • Subscribe
  • Program guide
  • Watch Live

Public Works Crews Take COVID-19 Precautions as They Battle Snow

3:47 PM | Wednesday, October 21, 2020

Winter came a little early this year. Many local public works departments are busy maintaining the roads, and they’re also preparing for something else—COVID-19.

About seven inches of snow fell in the northwest metro on Tuesday, and we could see another round of snow by the end of the week. Plymouth Public Works crews are ready to plow over 320 miles of city streets.

“This has been just a crazy year whether it’s COVID or this historical snowstorm,” said Plymouth Public Works Director Michael Thompson. He says the city has taken several steps to keep employees on the job and safe from the virus.

Social Distancing Rules and Hand washing Stations At Plymouth Public Works

Plymouth Public Works sanitizing

There are sanitizing stations in the building for employees to wipe down vehicles and equipment. They are also staggering shifts to limit how many people are in the building at one time. And if anyone were to get sick and have to quarantine at home, Plymouth has a plan. They would first shift staff from their Parks and Recreation Department, and if those resources ran out, they have another option.

“We would use our mutual aid pact that we have with Hennepin County Emergency Management,” explained Thompson.

In 2018, the Plymouth city council approved participating in the “Minnesota Statewide Public Works Mutual Aid Pact,” which allows cities to borrow resources from other neighboring towns who are part of the agreement.

Crystal Public Works Director Mark Ray spearheaded the public works deal. “For us, smaller cities, even losing a few staff, can have a significant impact on the operations,” said Ray.

More than 15 cities are participating in the program, including Brooklyn Center and Golden Valley. Each city works out the details among themselves when it comes to resources. “The nice thing about this agreement is that it provides the legal framework,” Ray said.

Hennepin County Public Works is not part of the mutual aid pact, but they have an unofficial agreement to work with cities.  

“I’ve reached out to about a dozen of them, and all of them have agreed to help out in their jurisdiction if there’s a county road that they could open up for us,” explained Andy Kraemer, Hennepin County Road Operations Manager.

Because in a year of uncertainty, it’s good to have a back up to the backup plan.

Sonya Goins, reporting

Crystal | Plymouth

Related Stories

Powerful Twin Cities Storms Knock Out Power, Down Trees in Crystal:  A powerful storm that included… Read More
Power Outages from Storms Push Some Schools into E-Learning Days:  Park Center High School and… Read More
Standout Student: Cooper High School’s Yelitza Hernandez Guitron:  Yelitza Hernandez Guitron is one… Read More
Maple Grove’s North Metro Range Expansion on Track:  Relief will soon be on the way for law… Read More
Day-care Owners Hope for Surplus Money to Offset COVID Costs:  The state's projected surplus of nearly… Read More
Wayzata Students Help Fill Cafeteria Staffing Void:  On any given day, roughly 2,800 students make… Read More

Footer

NAVIGATE

  • CCX Media
  • NEWS
  • SPORTS
  • CITIES
  • CREATE
  • Job Opportunities
  • Meet the CCX Media Team
  • ABOUT CCX MEDIA
  • Annual Programming Reports
  • CABLE COMMISSION

SUBSCRIBE

Get email updates for daily story previews. “Week in Review” video links, and programming previews.

Subscribe Today

CONNECT

HAVE A NEWS TIP? CALL OUR TIPLINE AT:  763-533-1710
Send us story ideas and comments!
Get in touch with us
               
 NEWS   SPORTS
 SHOP/ORDER

LOCATION

CCX Media
6900 Winnetka Avenue North
Brooklyn Park, MN 55428

Main Phone:  763-533-8196

CCX Media serves the northwest suburbs of Minneapolis, Minnesota, including Brooklyn Center, Brooklyn Park, Crystal, Golden Valley, Maple Grove, New Hope, Osseo, Plymouth and Robbinsdale.
Copyright © 2022 CCXMedia | All Rights Reserved. | Privacy Policy | Accessibility Statement
Web Design and Development by CEL Marketing PR Design and BizzyWeb | Log in