POCATELLO — Gate City resident November Merzlock witnessed a two-vehicle crash at an intersection near her home on Monday evening during which snowy roads were likely a factor.

Merzlock immediately called Pocatello police to inform them of the accident and to request that a city truck plow the snow from the snow-covered intersection of East Maple Street and Washington Avenue where the crash occurred.

Police and fire units responded to the wreck, but Merzlock’s request for a snowplow to visit the intersection was deemed a non-emergency and she was transferred to the city’s Street Department. Because that department’s main office had already closed for the day, no snowplow was sent and Merzlock said she subsequently witnessed several more vehicles narrowly avoid crashing into each other on Monday night at the intersection.

In response to Merzlock’s concerns, city officials pointed out that the city has a smartphone application called Pocatello Connect that provides a 24-hour avenue for citizens to file service requests for, among other concerns, winter weather road issues such as the unplowed intersection in Merzlock’s neighborhood.

“Pocatello Connect is an easy, convenient way for residents to report issues to the city that they see out in the community,” said Pocatello spokesman Logan McDougall. “The app features a streamlined service request process, which allows residents who see a concern to immediately report the issue to the city. Residents are also able to upload a picture or video with the request.”

The app, which the city launched in February 2019, can be found on the Apple App Store and on Google. Moreover, residents can access the application online at pocatelloid.citysourced.com/.

Pocatello Mayor Brian Blad said this about the app when it launched last year, “Citizens are our eyes and ears many times. If you see a pothole, a blocked or clogged storm drain, or weeds on a property, just pull out your phone and let us know. Pocatello Connect is going to make it easy for everyone to help make our city an even better place to live.”

Though McDougall said residents are encouraged to use Pocatello Connect to file service requests, such as the need for a snowplow, he also stressed the importance of calling 911 for any emergency situation such as a car crash.

Once the city receives service requests filed via Pocatello Connect, users will receive updates via email or through mobile push notifications as the city processes their requests. Residents are also able to see other recent requests for service on a map of the city via Pocatello Connect.

Beyond just service requests, the app allows people to register for Pocatello Parks and Recreation Department programs, apply for city jobs, receive city notifications and more.

McDougall said the city based some of its decision to implement Pocatello Connect off the fact over 50 percent of the people accessing the city’s website, pocatello.us, did so using a mobile device in 2018.

Furthermore, McDougall provided the Journal with some recent statistics from the app during its first year in use. So far, more than 1,200 people have downloaded the app, resulting in a total of 573 service requests to the city.

Of all the service requests, McDougall said the city has resolved over 98 percent of the reported issues. Only eight of the 573 service requests filed via Pocatello Connect remain open cases, McDougall added.

Just last week Pocatello resident Marjanna Hulet, who is known locally for her work with Boy Scouts of America, used the app to report a pothole on a city street. The next day, the pothole was filled, she wrote on the city’s Facebook page. Hulet told the Journal on Tuesday afternoon that she is definitely a fan of the app.

“I LOVE this App!” Hulet wrote on the city’s Facebook page. “It is amazing and awesome and fantastic. I reported a pothole with it yesterday morning and THIS MORNING the thing is filled in! How cool is that!”

At the time of the car crash in Merzlock’s neighborhood on Monday night, the Pocatello Street Department’s snowplows were out in full force trying to clear snow from the city’s streets.

“The big thing with snow removal is it takes a lot of guys and a ton of trucks,” said Pocatello Deputy Public Works Director Tom Kirkman, adding that the Street Department does give problems reported via Pocatello Connect priority status.

When it comes to keeping Pocatello’s roadways clear, Kirkman said the city has assigned priority levels to streets based on how much traffic the road typically gets on a daily basis. Main roads are most important and are plowed first, he said. Less frequently traveled residential roads are next on the list.

“When we have an active snow event, our main trucks will stay on those main roads,” Kirkman said. “While you may live on a residential street that is not plowed, you are not far from a main road that is. For instance Poole (Avenue) may not yet be treated yet but Cedar, Yellowstone and Oak will be.”

Additionally, Kirkman said the city works hand-in-hand with the National Weather Service to get advanced warning about incoming winter storms to devise a thorough plan for clearing snow from Pocatello’s streets.

“Sometimes we do just the drive lines, other times we plow curb-to-curb or maybe we’re just laying sand down,” Kirkman said. “We are cautious about plowing curb-to-curb because of incidents like the winter rain forecast for later in the week, which could result in the plowed snow clogging storm drains.”

Nonetheless, Merzlock said the wreck that occurred near her home on Monday night should have resulted in a city snowplow being dispatched to her neighborhood.

Police said the crash did not result in anyone being seriously injured. It was one of nine wrecks in Pocatello as a result of the snowstorm that barreled through East Idaho on Sunday and Monday. Police described all of the crashes as minor.

Even with the most proactive approach, you can’t always predict the weather, Kirkman said.

“If Mother Nature wants to be ornery then there is nothing we can do to stop her,” Kirkman said. “It could be that one of our lead guys misses a phone call and delays the process, especially if it is after hours. But we do have two-way radios and do our very best to get over there and take care of it. Unfortunately, there is a lot of picking and choosing what we have to do and there are a limited amount of bodies and trucks to get the work done.”