Snow and Ice Control Policy — full text

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1 SNOW AND ICE CONTROL POLICY Reference Classification PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT Public Works Snow and Ice Control Policy Subject Pages Snow and Ice Control Policy 7 Authority Effective Date Council Rural Municipality of Lac du Bonnet December 4, 2019 Approved Index Resolution No. 2019 0391 PURPOSE The purpose of this policy shall be to establish a standard for snow clearing, snow removal and sanding of roads within the Rural Municipality of Lac du Bonnet. DEFINITIONS Council Shall mean the duly elected Council of the R.M. of Lac du Bonnet; Public Works Manager Shall mean an individual appointed in that position; Municipality Shall mean the R.M. of Lac du Bonnet Snow Clearing Snow clearing is the job of clearing snow from roads and Municipal owned properties after a snow event to make travel easier and safer; Snow Removal Snow removal is the job of removing and hauling away snow from areas such as critical intersections, boulevards, dead end roads and drifted areas; Ice Control Ice Control is the job of clearing the ice by means of scraping, ripping or melting; Sanding Is the spreading of a treated sand mixture to icy or slippery areas to assist with traction and temporary relief from skidding and to help insure a safer roadway; Designate Shall mean an individual appointed by the Public Works Manager or 2 his or her designate to act on behalf of the Manager; 1.0 POLICY STATEMENT The R.M. of Lac du Bonnet, within the resources allocated by R.M. 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 the case where the snow fall ends the evening before or during the night, snow clearing operations will begin the following morning or as according to policy. The Municipality's goal for completion of snow clearing of municipal maintained roads shall be 2 ½ days or sooner. Employees and equipment will be dispatched or put on standby according to the Public Works Manager or his or her designate or the designate's discretion upon review of meteorological forecasts and other factors such as wind velocity and direction. During extreme snowfall events where the snowfall amount and/or accompanying severe 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. The Municipality will dispatch three (3) Graders (w/wings) + one (1) Tandem Truck Plow (w/wing attachment) for snow plowing events. 2.0 SNOWFALL a) Level 1: Snowfall amounts of less than 10cm This does not require a full snow clearing operation, although some minor clearing will be done at the Manager's discretion. In all cases the Municipal main feeder routes will be cleared as per Appendix A. Depending on weather factors it may also be necessary to clear some subdivisions roads. Ice control and sanding might be necessary within the Municipality depending on various factors including: Temperature, Forecast, Wind Condition, Traffic volumes, previous sanding etc. The Municipality will also dispatch a front end loader to clear any snow accumulation surrounding the Lac du Bonnet Fire Department Building. b) Level 2: Snowfall amounts greater than 10 cm (Extreme Snow Event) A cleanup of all roads (Main Feeder Routes & Subdivisions) will be initiated shortly after snowfall has ceased. In situations where snowfall ends later in the day or evening, clearing operations shall commence the following morning. For purposes of this policy 3 the routes of the four (4) snow clearing pieces of equipment are listed in Appendix B of this document. ➢ Two (2) graders are assigned on the East Side (E/S) of the Winnipeg River. One will commence plowing from the East Boundary of the Municipality and one grader will start on the East Side (E/S) of the Winnipeg River and work towards each other. ➢ One (1) grader will commence on the W/S of the Winnipeg River and work towards the West Boundary on the north side of P.T.H #317. ➢ The Tandem Truck Plow will commence plowing on the W/S of the Winnipeg River and work south towards Seddons Corner and then north towards P.T.H. #317 until it meets with the 3rd grader. ➢ One (1) Front End Loader will be dispatched to the Lac du Bonnet Fire Department Building to provide snow clearing and/or provide assistance to any emergent situations for the Fire Department Personnel as required. ➢ Lac du Bonnet Airport: On Day 2 of the cleaning operation one grader is sent to clear the runway at the Lac du Bonnet Airport to ensure that all flights (including emergency flights) have the ability to utilize the airport. NOTE: It is the overall goal of the Public Works Department to finish a snow clearing operation within 2 ½ days of the commencement of the plowing operation. During extreme snowfall events where the snowfall amount and/or accompanying severer 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. c) Level 3: Maintenance Activities Upon the completion of an extreme snow clearing event (2 ½ days) the Municipality will dispatch two (2) Front End Loaders to clean up any problem areas (cul-de-sacs) and intersections where accumulations of snow may restrict site lines. Once the snow clearing event has concluded the Municipality will then dispatch a Sanding Truck to ensure that all roads with access to a Provincial Highway to prevent any icy conditions at stop signs. This will also include the sanding truck moving into the subdivisions after the main feeder routes have been made safe. 3.0 SNOW BARRIERS & REMOVAL Some areas require the installation of snow barriers on open areas to prevent drifting during period of high wind conditions. The Municipality will approach the local land owner to seek permission to have a grader create a snow barrier at that location to help prevent drifting and ultimately an unsafe road condition. The Manager and/or Designate shall have the authority to approve and commence such works. 4 In cases where the storage of snow impedes the lines of sight on roadway intersections or cause the narrowing of road allowances the Municipality may remove and haul this snow. The Manager and/or Designate shall have the authority to approve and commence such works. 4.0 DIRT/UNMAINTAINED ROADS Unmaintained roads shall only be cleared as to provide access for local landowner to retrieve product once per winter season at the Municipality's expense. Additional works done to maintain access may be considered at the rate payer's expense. Requests for maintaining continuous access will be decided by Council. 5.0 SPECIAL SITUATIONS Public Works shall have the authority to dispatch equipment for special situations that arise outside of day to day operations such as medical emergencies. During times of extreme winter conditions and or snowfall accumulations, the R.M. of Lac du Bonnet (within reason and within the safety of the staff and equipment) will make efforts to make one pass with the plows on one side of the all maintained roadways to ensure a partial clearing of the road for traffic to get to their destination safely or allow for emergency vehicles to access such locations. 6.0 RESPONSIBILITY AND AUTHORITY FOR THIS POLICY The Public Works Manager and/or Designate is charged with the primary responsibility for executing snow and ice clearing, maintenance and removal operations and for exercising the appropriate levels of authority to ensure maintenance and compliance with this policy. The Public Works Manager and/or Designate retains the authority to alter assignments based on weather conditions, equipment, safety of the staff, staff availability, and other conditions related to snow removal/ice control. In with emergency services and other Public Works personnel, the Public Works Manager and/or Designate continuously monitor weather conditions to determine appropriate action. 5 7.0 SNOW REMOVAL ON PRIVATE PROPERTIES Although efforts will be made to alleviate the amount of snow pushed in to driveways and entrances, it will be the resident's responsibility for the clearing of windrowed snow and ice to the degree that vehicular traffic is not compromised. Wherever possible the Public Works Department will endeavor to plow snow away from residential driveways where the storage of such snow is possible across the road. However, the Public Works Department must ensure that windrows of snow are pushed off the shoulders of roads to eliminate any potential soft shoulders in the Spring. The R.M. of Lac du Bonnet devotes a great deal of resources to keep the roads clear of snow and ice. Residents often deposit snow, slush and ice from their property onto roadways not realizing that this contravenes the municipal regulations and contributes to unsafe driving and walking conditions and increases the cost of providing winter road maintenance. Please be reminded that this creates unsafe conditions for both drivers and Public Works Operators attempting to clear roads as well as extra time and unnecessary expense are created by such action. Residents are strongly encouraged to find a suitable location for the snow within the confines of the property being cleared. The R.M. of Lac du Bonnet hereby gives notice through this policy that any party who deposits snow upon a highway or the shoulders thereof, may be in contravention of Section 217 (2) of the Highways Traffic Act, which reads as follows: 217(2) A person who drops, throws, or deposits upon a highway any substance or thing likely to injure a person, animal, or vehicle shall immediately remove it or cause it to be removed. As the practice of cleaning private lanes and driveways and leaving of snow on the road and/or shoulders creates a hazardous driving conditions and may cause damage to municipal equipment and operators. The R.M. of Lac du Bonnet will take whatever action is necessary to enforce the above- mentioned section of the Act. NOTE: The term "highway" applies to all roads and streets within the municipality, both Provincial and Municipal. 6 Appendix A The following Municipal roads are identified as main feeder routes. Bilan Road Maple Creek Road Woodrow Road Red Deer Road Landerville Road Springwell Road Allegra Road McArthur Road Riverland Road Urban Road Belluk Road Channel Drive Wendigo Road Lee River Road Cape Coppermine Road 7 Appendix B