Millisa Haas, transportation manager of Harlow’s School Bus Service in Boulder, approached the Jefferson County Commission on Mar. 11, about a busing incident that occurred in the wake of a snow storm on Feb. 18.
“If we don’t do something about this, one of these days we’re going to have a catastrophe,” said Haas.
Heavy snow on Feb. 18 prevented the busing service from retrieving students on Corbin and Wickes Roads during a county-wide delayed start. Parents from Clancy Elementary and Jefferson High schools were directed to bring their children to the Jefferson City Fire Station.
At the fire station, however, a bus slid into a retaining wall while attempting to retrieve students. Haas urged county officials to improve communication between herself, area schools, and county snow plow drivers.
“It was a little bit of a different day than a normal storm,” responded Jefferson County Road and Bridge Department Supervisor Bear Taylor. “It started snowing early, and our guys were out there at 6 a.m. By the time you got out there, it looked like [the roads] hadn’t been plowed.”
The Road and Bridge Department is responsible for plowing county roads, and pays particular attention to local school bus routes. Plowing for the parking lot of the Jefferson City Fire Station, however, falls under the responsibility of the Solid Waste District, and is not regularly maintained.
Taylor and county officials assured Haas that they would communicate more closely in the future to ensure better coordinatied responses.
