CITY OF BEAVER DAM SNOW & ICE REMOVAL POLICY Revised January, 2016 Approved by Operations Committee: February 1, 2016 This snow and ice removal policy guides Public Works personnel with deicing, plowing, and snow removal efforts. Each storm is unique and the policy is a general guide that may be altered depending on each unique winter storm. All existing ordinances regarding snow removal from sidewalks, placing snow into public right of way, and parking regulations during the winter season remain in effect, and are considered a necessary part of the overall snow removal plan. The City of Beaver Dam will strive to maintain safe conditions for drivers observing winter driving conditions. This does not mean that bare, dry pavement should be expected after snowfall or ice storms. Furthermore, this does not mean the streets will be free of snow and ice. Every winter storm offers different conditions such as wind, temperature, timing, duration, and moisture content. The Snow and Ice Removal Policy sets general guidelines to be followed, but different storms require different reactions and the policies must remain flexible to adapt to different variables. While all snow removal operations are conducted by the Public Works Department personnel, assistance is often required from the Parks and Forestry Department and the Water and Wastewater Utility Departments. DETERMINATION OF NEED FOR SNOW & ICE CONTROL PROCEDURES The on call Public Works supervisors communicate and rely heavily on the observations of Police Department personnel and various Internet weather sites to alert them of winter storms and road conditions. The determination to begin winter snow and ice control operations during normal working hours shall primarily be department supervisor(s). During off duty hours, the on call supervisor and the Police Department shall communicate. As a general guideline, two inches or more of snow accumulation shall prompt plowing operations to begin. However, if the onset of the storm is accompanied by freezing rain or icing conditions, deicing procedures may already have been instituted. Time of day may also be used to determine procedures and when to begin. - 1 -
SNOW & ICE CONTROL PROCEDURES Deployment for ice control or snow plowing will commence at the direction of the on call supervisor. Services shall be provided in accordance with the following procedures. ICE CONTROL Ice control may begin prior to the onset of a storm through anti-icing operations if deemed necessary by a supervisor or when an unsafe condition for travel exists. Deicing operations can vary greatly, depending on whether there is a need for citywide coverage, or if there are isolated slippery areas. The Police Department and Public Works supervisors will communicate to determine priority locations. Attention is given to City streets according to the designated priorities as follows: Priority 1 Priority 2 Priority 3 Main Streets (Arterial Streets) Secondary Streets (Collector Streets) Low Volume Residential through Streets (Local Streets), dead ends, cul-de-sacs, alleys, and parking lots When icy conditions occur in city streets, hazardous situations will present themselves in numerous locations at the same time. Salting crews cannot be in all places at all times, and salt does not melt ice immediately. The City uses salt by spreader application for most deicing operations. Some of the salting equipment also uses pre-wet technology to reduce the amount of salt needed, lower its working temperature and reduce the amount of time that it takes to begin melting ice. Rock salt alone will only melt ice down to a temperature of 15 degrees F. The Public Works Department measures ground temperature, not air temperature. At very low temperatures, and / or for ice or snow packed roads, abrasives such as sand may be used to provide traction. The use of rock salt alone shall be minimized during extremely cold temperatures. Arterial streets and some collector streets will often be salted along the entire route, while some collector streets and residential streets will only be salted at intersections, curves, and hills. Anti-icing is a road maintenance strategy that attempts to keep the bond between ice and the pavement surface from forming. It involves applying ice control chemicals prior to the beginning of a storm. This process may, at times, be used on main streets, bridges, curves, and other hazardous locations. Using this strategy reduces total chemical use and allows a higher level of service to the traveling public. - 2 -
SNOW PLOWING Snowplowing will begin when the Police Department and / or Public Works supervisor have determined snow accumulations are 2 inches or more and / or are a traffic hazard. City-wide plowing operations to include all streets, alleys, and municipal parking lots will occur according to the designated priorities as follows: Priority 1 Priority 2 Priority 3 Main Streets (Arterial Streets) Secondary Streets (Collector Streets) Low Volume Residential through Streets (Local Streets), dead ends, cul-de-sacs, alleys, and parking lots If other safety concerns exist, such as a hill, a street may be advanced to a higher priority for plowing. For operating efficiency some lower priority streets may be done when equipment is in the area rather than returning at a later time. This will vary by storm conditions and severity. Plows must make multiple passes down a street to clear it curb to curb. It is best to wait, if possible, until the entire street has been plowed before shoveling out your driveway approach. During storms with heavy snowfall, main streets may have to be continually patrolled. Secondary streets will be patrolled as frequently as possible and low volume residential streets may not be plowed until high priority streets are safe to travel. SNOW REMOVAL Snow removal is necessary in the downtown area where snow storage is not available behind the curb. Heavy equipment and multiple trucks are utilized to load and haul snow from downtown streets. Snow removal is also necessary in other areas after heavy storms or a series of storms where there is limited or no snow storage area. Snow removal does not occur every time plowing operations occur. This will vary depending on the timing of the storm, the amount of precipitation received, and the forecast. In the days following a heavy storm or series of storms, Public Works crews will remove snow piles from dead ends, municipal parking lots, and cul-de-sacs during normal working hours. This operation will not necessarily be performed after every storm event. In the days following a heavy storm or series of storms, Public Works crews may also have to remove snow that has encroached into the street beyond the curbline. - 3 -
SIDEWALKS The Department of Public Works and Parks and Forestry Dept. clear snow and ice from sidewalks along city-owned properties following winter storms. Snow and ice removal from city streets is the first priority following a winter storm. Clearing snow and ice from the sidewalks begins when priority one is complete and personnel are available. Every winter storm offers different conditions which require different equipment and a different number of personnel. - 4 -
ORDINANCES Sec. 54-9. - Snow and ice removal. (a) Sidewalks to be kept clear. The owner or occupant of any lot or parcel shall promptly, daily remove all snow and ice which may have fallen or accumulated upon the sidewalk in front of such lot or parcel, provided that when ice has so formed that it cannot be removed, the owner or occupant shall keep the ice sprinkled with a material which will prevent the sidewalk from being dangerous to pedestrians. (b) Assessment for failure to comply. If the owner or occupant fails to comply with subsection (a) of this section, the director of facilities shall cause the snow or ice to be removed or sprinkled as required in this section, and the cost thereof assessed against the property as a special tax. Any assessment not paid within the time provided in this section, or 30 days if no time is provided, shall, in addition to the interest provided by Wis. Stats. 74.49(2), be subject to an additional penalty from the date such assessment was levied at the rate of 0.5 percent per month or any part thereof. (c) Snow not to be deposited in streets. (1) Snow and ice removed from private property shall not be deposited onto any public street right-of-way, public alley or public parking lot. All such snow and ice shall be stored on private property or removed therefrom by the property owner. (2) Snow and ice removed from public sidewalks or private driveway approaches located in street or alley rights-of-way shall not be deposited onto the travelable portion of any public street, public alley or public parking lot. Where no public tree border area exists to accommodate the storage of such snow and ice, same may be deposited into the adjacent street gutter, such as, for example, the 200 block of Front Street. (d) Variance. (1) Section 54-9(c) of the Municipal Code is varied to permit dumping of snow in the public alleyways of the Tower Parking Lot from private parcels with four or less parking stalls as a credit for said private abutting property enlarging the capacity of said parking lot. (2) Snow is to be deposited prior to 8:00 a.m. of the day plowing is required by the City of Beaver Dam. (Code 2001, 8.08; Ord. No. 10-2005, I, II, 4-4-2005; Ord. No. 7-2009, I, 6-1-2009) Sec. 62-50. - Parking restrictions. Modified (c) Night parking restricted during snow removal season. No person shall park any vehicle on any street right-of-way in the city between 2:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. on any day during the snow removal season of each year. If any vehicle parks in violation of this subsection (c), the police department may order it towed from the street at the owner's risk, and towing charges shall be collected from the owner of the vehicle. A special permit allowing the holder thereof to park a - 5 -
vehicle owned by him, or under his control and supervision, on a particularly described portion of a street within the city during these hours may be issued by the board of public works for the snow removal season of each year or for a lesser period if the applicant can show actual necessity for a permit to so park. All such special permits shall expire on April 1 of each year. The location of the parking area may be determined by the board of public works. A nonrefundable permit fee listed in article III, chapter 42 of this Code shall be charged by the city for each permit issued for all or any part of the snow removal season. Such permit is subject to revocation by the board of public works should the permittee fail to remove all snow from the street around the permitted parked vehicle within 24 hours after the snow plow passes around the vehicle. - 6 -