Alton’s Public Works Department had the city’s streets cleared and business was back on track Tuesday after a Monday winter storm dumped several inches of snow.
Alton Mayor Brant Walker praised Public Works Director Bob Barnhart and his staff for a job well done.
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“It quit snowing at about 12:30 p.m. to 1 yesterday and they had everything knocked out by about 8 last night,” the mayor said Tuesday. “We went from working on a ton of projects in public works right into the snow-removal mode and they served the community like it deserves. We have heard a lot of positive things about it today.”
Barnhart said public safety is the top goal for his department and he said was a team effort to clear the streets.
"The city is divided into nine zones and each route had a truck," he said. "We wanted people to get to and from home. We deal with each ward equally. Our people came through with a good effort."
Walker, who has been in private business for many years outside his mayor position, said he understands first hand how important it is for businesses to be able to be open and people be able to get to and from work.
“We make a lot of money off business,” he said. “It is important to have the streets cleared if someone wants to get to the mall or go downtown to eat or drink. We have put a lot of effort into retention of businesses and corrected the parking issues. The more user-friendly, the more business we will get here.”
