Objectives:
- To keep all roads open and traffic moving during snow and ice events
- To warn motorists of hazardous conditions and minimize those hazards through the use of city resources
- To protect and maintain the city’s roads through timely removal of snow and ice
- To insure the safety of the traveling public and all city work crews is the highest priority during a storm event
Guidelines:
Phase one snowplowing will begin as soon as snow is of a sufficient depth to plow and continue until roads are determined to be satisfactory. Preventative measures will begin as soon as temperatures fall to 32 degrees Fahrenheit and moisture is present on pavement surface. Periodically, pre-treating is used to prevent hazardous conditions and may be implemented when ice and snow events are predicted. Administrative personnel will monitor the track of storms that are expected to bring winter weather to our area, and when it becomes apparent that a storm event is imminent, all snow and ice control equipment will be made ready for rapid response and placed on standby. Also, all appropriate personnel will be placed on “on-call” status.
Planning:
The City’s Public Works Department has a pre-determined snow priority list that outlines the roads with the highest priorities that will be cleared of ice and snow first. These roads will be designated Priority 1 on the snow removal plan. Priority 1 roads include known trouble spots such as steep grades, sharp curves, bridges, and state and county roads under City jurisdiction. The plan is flexible so some other roads may be designated Priority 1, but most should be primary routes and high volume roads. Additionally, attention will be given to those roads with nursing homes for E.M.S. access.
The roads not designated Priority 1 streets within the city will be considered Priority 2 roads and be cleared as soon as possible. Priority 2 streets typically include side streets and low traffic volume roads. Keep in mind that the magnitude of the event and the snowfall per hour will determine how quickly crews respond to Priority 2 roads. At present the snow and ice removal crew consists of eight personnel. At such time as the Safety Service Director declares an internal emergency, an additional three personnel under Public Works will be called out for duty. In addition, if and when additional personnel are hired they will be appropriately trained and placed into service.
Resource Preparation:
Every fall, prior to the winter months, preparations will be made to ensure all resources are prepared to respond to a snow and ice event. There are three areas for preparation that are vital to the ability of a crew to respond appropriately to a storm.
Equipment – All equipment will be thoroughly inspected and tested to ensure it is in proper working order. Items of special concern are electrical and hydraulic components that are subject to deterioration and corrosion during the months of non-use. A reasonable supply of replacement parts such as switches, hoses, casters, bearings, and blades will also be kept in stock.
Materials – All necessary materials needed to control snow and ice will be ordered, tested, and stored prior to the first anticipated snowfall/freeze.
Personnel – Training session(s) will be held on an annual basis, devoting time to training new personnel, updating experienced crew members, and training personnel from other areas of Public Works in the event the Safety Service Director would declare an emergency which would assign them to snow and ice removal.
Reporting Procedures:
It is the responsibility of the operations superintendent or his designee to contact the Safety Service Director or his designee when a snow and ice control event has begun. The aforementioned personnel will be responsible to monitor the weather conditions and employee work hours ensuring, during large events, that drivers are rested. In addition, the clerk/dispatcher may be called in to call out new drivers and dispatch them.
Coordinating Snow and Ice Control:
The operations superintendent is responsible for activating the emergency ice and snow removal plan in consultation with the City Engineer/Public Works Director and the Safety Service Director. Snow and ice control takes precedent over all other operations during a snow and/or ice event. During this time, it becomes necessary to move manpower and equipment from one area to another. It is the responsibility of the Operations Superintendent in consultation with the Engineer/Public Works Director/designee to move or reassign manpower and equipment. In the event of a two-inch or more snowfall, the Safety Service Director may also declare a snow emergency and place a snow parking ban in effect. Presently, City streets are labeled with signage for snow ban streets.
After The Storm:
After every snow event, immediate attention will be given to restocking supplies and equipment along with repair and maintenance of equipment.
*It Is Important to Note:
Per Massillon City Ordinance, residences and businesses are responsible for snow and ice removal on the sidewalks adjoining their buildings on the public right of way.
1307.03 MAINTENANCE RESPONSIBILITIES
- Leasing for Business Occupancy; Restriction – No owner, operator or agent shall occupy, rent or lease, or offer rental or lease, any structure or any parts thereof which do not comply with the provisions of this chapter.
- Owner – The owner of every building or structure or his authorized agent shall be responsible for maintaining in a clean, safe, and sanitary condition, the shared or common areas of the premises, including all yard areas, walks, driveways, and parking lots, including the public sidewalk area adjoining the building on the public right of way. The owner, or his authorized agent, shall be responsible for snow and ice removal, rubbish removal, and other obvious activities relative to the maintenance of a safe and sanitary structure.
- Occupant – The occupant of any building or structure shall be responsible for maintaining in a clean, safe and sanitary condition that part of the premises which he occupies and controls. (Ord. 122-1979. Passed 9-4-79.)
Frequently Asked Questions:
Why can’t you plow my street now?
The City has a snow removal plan to clear our streets. The main streets, especially historically hazardous areas and hills are the focus initially. Secondary roadways are plowed and/or treated after primary streets are completed. If plows were diverted every time there is a special request, the priority system that is in place would crumble and it would take much longer to get highly traveled roads clear, let alone, all the city streets.
The plow left some snow at the end of my driveway. Can you send someone to come out and plow it?
If clearing driveways were part of the snow removal plan and plows spent just 60 seconds per driveway, it would take several days to clean driveways alone. One thing residents and businesses can do to minimize the problem is to pile snow that has been shoveled from the driveway on the downstream side of the driveway. When the snowplow hits the pile, it will be moved on the grass or sidewalk, not back on the driveway.
Can you tell me exactly when my street will be plowed?
Under ideal circumstances, we can predict fairly accurately when we will have streets in various sections of the City plowed. However, as weather conditions change we must alter our snow and ice strategy in the midst of operations for drifting and other special problems.
Why don’t you use big trucks to plow out cul-de-sacs?
Large plows are not used because of their limited ability to maneuver. Smaller trucks are more maneuverable and therefore more capable to do snow removal in cul-de-sacs. Also, the varying sizes of cul-de-sacs present plowing problems ranging from difficult to impossible. The best equipment to plow cul-de-sacs is smaller one-ton trucks and below, however, the City presently has only two one-ton vehicles and nothing smaller. This maneuverability problem also transfers to some of our streets when residents park in the streets during a snow or ice event. A plow can easily cut a path on a straight surface with no barriers, but dodging parked cars creates its own set of plowing issues.
Why do you sometimes salt instead of plowing and vice-versa?
Different types of storms require the use of different snow-fighting techniques. The decision on whether to salt or plow rests upon the expected weather conditions and temperatures.
Why do I see snow plow trucks riding around when it’s not snowing?
Trucks may be checking the city for secondary cleaning from vehicles that were parked but have moved. Additionally, drivers may be going through training or retraining to sharpen their skills.