LEXINGTON, Ky. — Mayor Linda Gorton will ask the Urban County Council on Tuesday to grant initial approval to agreements with eight contractors who can help the city manage snow and ice removal during future winter storms, officials announced Monday.

The contractors will help the city scale up heavy equipment and experienced personnel to respond to severe weather events, marking the first of several planned improvements to the city's winter operations.

The announcement coincided with the release of the city's internal "After Action Review," which began Feb. 8 and included feedback from more than 100 drivers, operators, supervisors, and managers including senior leadership.

Winter Storm Fern brought only moderate amounts of snowfall to Lexington, between 4.5 and 6 inches, but also left a quarter-inch layer of ice followed by a long period of extreme cold that limited crews' ability to treat roads. It is estimated that the rock salt the city spread on its roads to melt the ice was ineffective 47% of the time — temperatures must be above 15 degrees for salt to work.

Last month, city leaders drew heavy criticism for their response to a winter storm which caused more than 150 crashes in Lexington. The next day Mayor Gorton announced she had accepted the resignation of Nancy Albright, Commissioner of Environmental Quality and Public Works and was scrapping the city's snow plan.

The After Action Review notes that weather conditions weren't the only factor complicating the city's response. "The primary limitation during the event was not solely environmental conditions, but the absence of a clearly defined, adaptable operational strategy," the review states.

In the next few weeks, Gorton said she will appoint a workgroup including councilmembers and key staff to begin implementing recommendations in the After Action Review. Gorton said the needed changes will cost around $4 million.

City leaders said the city's overall goal is to rewrite the current snow plan and revamp the management structure. "Changing weather patterns have brought more ice into our forecasts," Gorton said.