When snow swept across Mid-Missouri last month, many people stayed at home - but that's when Pat Kauffman was on the job.
Kauffman has been a maintenance worker with Jefferson City's Public Works Department for three years.
A Jefferson City native, he previously worked in construction when the maintenance position came up. Now, he works on anything related to streets: potholes, curb and gutter, road maintenance - and, among other responsibilities, snow.
"Taking the job, you know when it snows, you're more or less on call," he said.
When Missouri reached record-breaking low temperatures and snowfall this year, Kauffman worked an average of 10-12 hours a day while it was snowing. While other businesses were closed, his department worked daily to remove snow from walkways and streets.
When you start to see accumulation, he said, you know the Public Works Department will be getting a call.
The Streets Division will be transitioning into spring, focusing on the road repairs that need to happen now that snow has melted. Their first focus: patching up sinkholes and potholes.
"We'll get pretty busy, doing a lot of repairs to potholes, curb and gutter," he said, not to mention repairing pipe damage caused by below-zero temperatures.
Kauffman's favorite part of the job is the people he works with. From his start in the position to now, he has been surrounded by knowledgeable workers and supervisors who work together to get the job done, whatever call they might receive next.
Those coworkers have recognized his hard work, too.
Streets Division Superintendent Russ Rackers said Kauffman will be recognized in Jefferson City Council's Monday meeting for being one of the key workers in the maintenance of the council chambers. Kauffman and the crew did demolition work and electronic installation there over a three-day span.
Kauffman sees his job as filling a need: He helps keep the streets clean.
"I just want to make the city a better place," he said.