LEXINGTON, Ky. — City leaders presented an updated snow and ice control plan to the Urban County Council on August 29, detailing improvements aimed at addressing failures that left streets impassable during a January ice storm, according to meeting records.

Acting Commissioner of Environmental Quality and Public Works Charles Martin outlined a comprehensive strategy that reorganizes operations into preparation, response and recovery phases while addressing systemic issues identified in an after-action review following the January event. The plan emphasizes adaptability as weather conditions shift during winter weather events.

"The training part of it is really where the rubber hits the road," Martin said, noting that even well-crafted plans fail without proper execution and communication among staff who will implement them.

The draft plan, still undergoing revisions including text edits and mapping work, addresses four critical areas: fragmented communication, inconsistent execution of established plans, absence of an adaptable operational strategy, and limited use of formal incident management structures.

City officials plan to equip 76 tablets to supervisors and snow removal trucks to generate heat maps showing coverage of assigned routes. The city has also revised its communications strategy, with predetermined messaging schedules to ensure residents receive consistent updates at the end of each shift rather than reactive responses.

Mayor Linda Gorton replaced public works leadership in March after the January storm prompted criticism over response times. The city has contracted with eight external contractors to provide heavy equipment and personnel during major events.

Martin emphasized that the plan will establish a formal incident command structure, with him serving as chief incident commander during normal events and the mayor assuming that role during escalating storms.

The city expects to complete the plan by October and begin staff training shortly after. With roughly 100 days until winter, Martin urged the council to recognize that the plan will remain a "living document" requiring continuous adaptation based on actual conditions and lessons learned.