Council praises winter storm response

Berea city officials praised municipal staffers for the response to the first winter storm of 2025, noting that for the most part, the roads have stayed clear and the power has stayed on. 

During Tuesday’s meeting of the Berea City Council, City Administrator Rose Beverly was the first to praise city crews, including linemen and technicians at Berea Municipal Utilities (BMU).

“We are happy to report that the storm resulted in minimal impact on the electric system,” Beverly said, noting there were brief power outages in the area of Lorraine Court, Fairway Drive, Bob O Link, Meadowlark, and at the end of the system near I-75 exit 76. 

She added that at the peak of the outage, there were approximately 50 customers without service, a relatively low number given the projected impact of the snow and ice storm.  

“That’s a testament to the work they do,” Beverly said, citing BMU’s year-round campaign of tree trimming that likely reduced the incidents of downed power lines. “Good job to them (BMU) and to Kevin (Howard) for making sure our system is sound. They do a great job.” 

Beverly went on to thank the crewman from the Public Works Department who labored, sometimes through the night, to keep roads clear.  

“I just want to say about Public Works, I’m so grateful for the work that they did to keep our streets safe. We did hear a lot of compliments, a lot of good reviews on Facebook,” Beverly said. 

“They work hard, they are very professional, and they go out with a good plan. We’re grateful to have such good people that care so greatly about the community, and it shows in their work.”

During the mayoral comments segment of the meeting, Mayor Bruce Fraley echoed those sentiments about BMU, though he went on to include praise for the Berea Police Department, Berea Fire Department, first responders, water treatment technicians, city support staff, as well as Rose Beverly and Shawn Sandlin for making sure the city was prepared for the storm. “It shows a total team effort and the quality and care of our staff, and I’m grateful for their service to the citizens,” Fraley said. 

Fraley expressed special thanks to Public Works crews.

“I have to say that I had more compliments from the public from individual citizens and businesses on how quickly and efficiently the roads were cleared. It really shows the dedication of our Public Works team,” Fraley said. “Our roads were in better shape than I could have ever dreamed of considering the type of weather we had.”

Council members were unanimous in their praise of the city staff, whether it was the effort to clear snow or simply to ensure that BMU customers had service.

“I want to thank utilities,” said Ronnie Terrill. “They are always there, but we don’t always hear much about them.”

In addition, council members Teresa Scenters and Cora Jane Wilson made a point to thank street workers from Madison County and the state, noting they greatly contributed to the effort to keep roads open beyond city limits.