PUBW-02 Snow Clearing Policy — full text

This is the exact embedded text of the captured official document. Snapshot 5eb245356f42 · verified 2026-06-10 · original document · archived snapshot · unofficial consolidation, the official version is held by the municipal clerk.

Page 1 of 4 PURPOSE The purpose of this policy shall be to establish a quality standard for snow clearing, snow removal and sanding of streets, roads, sidewalks, and Municipal owned properties within the Municipality of Grassland. DEFINITIONS Council Shall mean the duly elected Council of the Municipality of Grassland Public Works Foreman Shall mean an individual appointed to Public Works Foreman. Operators Shall mean Public Works Equipment Operator. Municipality Shall mean the Municipality of Grassland. Urban Areas L.U.D Areas Shall mean Hartney, Minto, Elgin, Fairfax, Lauder and Grand Clairiere. Local Urban District - Minto & Elgin Snow Clearing Snow clearing is the operation of clearing snow from streets, roads, sidewalks and Municipal owned properties after a snow event to make travel easier and safer. Snow Removal Snow removal is the operation of removing and hauling snow away from areas such as critical intersections, fire hydrants, boulevards and along curbs. Ice Control Is the operation of clearing the ice by means of scraping, ripping or melting. Sanding Is the spreading of salts or salt sand mixture to icy or slippery areas to assist with traction and temporary relief from skidding and to help ensure a safer roadway. MUNICIPALITY OF GRASSLAND POLICY No. PUBW - 02: SNOW CLEARING POLICY EFFECTIVE DATE: February 15, 2023 RESOLUTION# 2023-032 Page 2 of 4 1.0 POLICY STATEMENT The Municipality of Grassland, within the resources allocated by Council, will clear and/or remove snow and ice as necessary on municipal roadways in accordance with section 2 of this policy. Snow clearing operations will only begin once the snowfall has ended or is expected to shortly, and visibility is greater than 300 meters. In cases where the snow fall ends the evening before or during the night, snow clearing operations will begin the following morning or according to this policy. The Municipality's goal for completion of snow clearing of municipal maintained roads and streets shall be set at 48 hours or sooner. Operators and equipment will be dispatched or put on standby according to the Public Works Foreman upon review of the weather forecast and other factors such as wind and direction. During extreme snowfall events where the snowfall amount and/or accompanying sever drifting conditions makes it impractical to complete the snow clearing operations with a full complement of resources and continuous effort, the time limits specified may be extended. 2.0 SNOWFALL a) Level 1 - snowfall amounts of less than 5cm This does not require a full snow clearing operation, although some minor clearing might be done at the Public Works Foreman's discretion. Ice control and sanding might be necessary within some urban and rural areas, depending on various factors, including: Temperature, Forecast, Wind Conditions, Traffic volumes, previous sanding, etc. b) Level 2 - snowfall amounts of 5cm up to 10cm (accumulative) A clean up will be done within urban and rural areas beginning on the first regular working day following the snowfall. Snow removal shall be done in order of priority within each respective area. c)Level 3 - snowfall amounts of 10cm or more A clean up of urban and rural areas will be initiated shortly after snowfall has ceased. In situations where snowfall ends late in the day or evening, clearing operations shall commence the following morning. - The Operators will rotate the route to start at with each separate snow event, however the Public Works Foreman and equipment operators will have the authority to alternate the route if deemed necessary, specifically if the impact of a snow event is worse in designated areas of the municipality. - The equipment and operators shall not be called out of the scheduled route. - Hills or hazardous areas designated by the Public Works Foreman may have FIRST priority at the discretion of the Public Works Foreman. - Council reserves the right to decide not to open certain roads if use is minimal. The Public Works Department will endeavour to clear main roads within 24 hours after a Level 3 snowfall has ended. An initial pass, clearing all roads, through of the villages of Hartney, Minto, Elgin, Fairfax, Lauder and Grand Clairiere will take place first as the snowplows travel through the area, followed by clearing all primary rural roads. The Foreman will determine the priority of the plowing to be completed, based on a grid rotation and/or by the roads that are in the most need of clearing. Page 3 of 4 The landfill sites will be cleaned as soon as possible after a Level 3 snowfall, but usually after the roads and villages are done. Custom work or secondary routes (ex: back lanes) will not be cleared until after all priority roads are completed. 3.0 L.U.D. Responsibilities. During a Level 3 snowfall, it is the responsibility of the L.U.D. to clear the town Fire Halls and Water Treatment Plants or other areas declared to be of importance as there may be an emergency situation prior to the Public Works Department are able to attend to the area. 4.0 Level 1 & Level 2 Snowfalls The Public Works Operators will alternate the order that wards and villages in the municipality will be cleared. The roads will be plowed according to a route that allows the grader operator to complete the route in the most efficient manner. Dirt Roads will only be cleared once per season to allow local landowners access to retrieve product, at the request of the landowner and at the Municipality's expense. Additional works done to maintain access may be requested, at the landowner's expense. Some urban areas may require removal of snow from storage areas, to maintain safety and access to fire hydrants and to keep site lines clear. Snow windrowing may be necessary in some areas. Custom work or secondary routes (ex: lanes) will not be cleared until after all priority roads are completed. Emergency situations will be dealt with in an appropriate manner, according to the Municipal Emergency response plan. Although efforts will be made to alleviate the amount of snow pushed into private driveways and entrances, it is the resident's responsibility for the clearing of windrowed snow and ice. Residents should not push snow out onto the road or across the road, as this creates ridges and other road conditions that are dangerous for the general traffic and grader operators and could result in an accident. Please be aware this is unsafe, not permitted and ratepayers may be responsible to pay a fine to cover any damages this causes to municipal equipment. 5.0 SAFETY GUIDELINES When snowfall quantities make driving conditions very difficult, the Public Works Foreman may authorize snow clearing activities before the snowfall has ceased, if the safety of both the general public and the Public Works employees in not comprised. Snow clearing operations should not be undertaken when visibility is less than 300 meters. Maximum shift hours should be 12 hours, with a minimum of 8 hours off in-between shifts. The Foreman has the authority to hire casual help as needed, to catch up or keep up with snow removal, with permission of council. Casual help will be paid at the current heavy construction minimum wage rate. Page 4 of 4 Employees will be expected to work extended hours after major storms unless: 1. storm is extended to two or three days, plowing will begin when the storm begins to subside. 2. If less than 10cm of snow falls or accumulates, regular working hours will only be required to remove/clear snow.