BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) – The Buffalo Common Council is pushing for the Department of Public Works’ snow plan earlier than the Nov. 1 deadline.

Some members have said it would be beneficial to receive the plan months, even seasons, in advance.

“I think in light of what we’ve dealt with the past three years, as well as what happened the last year and a half, we should have had something sooner,” said University District council member Rasheed N.C. Wyatt.

The Nov. 1 filing deadline for the snow plan is set by city charter. News 4 spoke with Mayor Byron Brown last week, who said the city was on course to make that deadline this year.

“We will be prepared, we will be ready and the new, updated snow plan with all of the new policies, procedures that we are recommending will be presented a least by Nov. 1,” Brown said.

But during a council meeting Tuesday, Wyatt introduced a deadline to amend the city’s charter, pushing the snow plan filing date to April 1 each year.

In the resolution, Wyatt said the current Nov. 1 deadline “has posed challenges in terms of providing adequate time for comprehensive review, necessary adjustments and the allocation of resources in the city budget to implement the plan effectively.”

“At one of my meetings, at which we had about 100 residents, one of the things primarily on their mind was the snow plan; what are we doing about the snow? How are we going to address it this year?” Wyatt said. “So I had to push it and make sure we got something. We can’t wait until November.”

Fillmore District council member Mitch Nowakowski said the April 1 deadline would line up with the city’s budget.

“The Common Council has to either approve or adopt an amended budget by May 31, but it’s due to council members by May 1,” Nowakowski said. “So if we can get 30 days lead time, 40 days lead time, to have a snow plan so we can address those concerns, it just makes the functionality of government even better.”

In a statement, a City of Buffalo spokesperson asked, because it’s often still snowing in April, how the Department of Public Works can review winter plans when it’s still dealing with winter. The spokesperson added “This is nothing more than a publicity stunt, and has absolutely no benefit to the public.”

There is a committee meeting scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 26 at 9:45 a.m. In a letter sent to city leaders titled “Where are we at?” council members requested that department heads attend the meeting to discuss preparations ahead of this winter, including the snow plan.