Referring to the letter to the editor dated Jan. 13. There is a need to set the record straight … the week of Jan. 3, 2022, Baker City crews plowed snow from streets and picked up snow berms beginning at midnight Monday night. The midnight plow crew plowed that Monday midnight shift and then it became necessary to plow the downtown priority 1 streets again Wednesday at midnight. The berm crew continued to work midnight to 8 a.m. Monday night, Tuesday night, Wednesday night, Thursday night and Friday night picking up snow from downtown priority 1 streets. Day shift crews plowed snow on priority 2 and 3 streets Tuesday and Wednesday. Snow conditions necessitated that priority 4 (neighborhood streets) be plowed. Zone E and then Zone A were selected for plowing Thursday and Friday to avoid their garbage pick-up day. Continuing to plow snow through the weekend would cost the city street department overtime wages. Every dollar that is spent on snow removal is money that is not available to crack fill, patch, chip seal and overlay streets. Not every citizen agrees with every decision that is made regarding street maintenance, but to make the unfounded and untrue accusation that city employees’ streets receive special treatment is an insult to my integrity and the professionalism of the Department.

Tom Fisk

Baker City