- Introduction
The City of Le Sueur believes that it is in the best interest of the residents for the City to assume basic responsibility for control of snow and ice on City streets. Reasonable ice and snow control is necessary for routine travel and emergency services. The City will provide such control in a safe and cost effective manner, keeping in mind safety, budget, personnel and environmental concerns. The City will use City employees, equipment and/or private contractors to provide this service.
- When will City start snow or ice control operations?
The Public Works Director or his designee will decide when to begin snow or ice control operations. The criteria for that decision are:
- Snow accumulation of 2 inches or more;
- Drifting of snow that causes problems for travel;
- Icy conditions which seriously affect travel; and
- Time of snowfall in relationship to heavy use of streets.
During Public Works Department "off hours" the Le Sueur Police Department personnel shall notify the Public Works Director or his designee of deteriorating travel conditions within the City.
Snow and ice control operations are expensive and involve the use of limited personnel and equipment. Consequently full snow plowing operations will not generally be conducted for snowfall of less than 2 inches.
- How snow will be plowed
Snow will be plowed in a manner so as to minimize any traffic obstructions. The center of the roadway will be plowed first. The snow shall then be pushed from left to right. The discharge shall go onto the boulevard area of the street. In times of extreme snowfall, streets will not always immediately be able to be completely cleared of snow.
- Dispatching Snow Plowing Equipment to Aid Emergency Vehicles
At anytime during snow occurrences it may become necessary to dispatch a plow truck to assist emergency vehicles (ie. fire trucks, ambulance). Snow removal equipment will not be dispatched to assist in these emergencies, if due to weather conditions the equipment or operator could become endangered.
- Snow Hauling
When snow accumulations necessitates, loading and hauling of snow in the "central business district", shall commence within twenty-four hours after all snow plowing operations have been completed. The specific streets are identified in the attached City Ordinance (Attachment). The Public Works Director or his designee will determine when snow will be removed by truck from other areas. Such snow removal will occur in areas where accumulated piles of snow create a hazardous condition. Snow hauling operations will not commence until other snow plowing operations have been completed. Snow hauling operations may also be delayed depending on weather conditions, personnel and budget availability. The snow will be removed and hauled to a snow storage area.
- Cul-de-sac Snow Removal - (Adopted March 31, 1989)
- Snow removed from cul-de-sacs shall be placed on City right-of-way outside cul-de-sac perimeters wherever possible.
- Snow removed from cul-de-sacs shall be placed on City right-of-way of streets entering cul-de-sacs.
- When snow from cul-de-sacs can no longer be placed in City right-of-way outside of paved areas snow shall be piled on the paved surface of the cul-de-sac and entrance road.
- The City shall maintain enough open driving area to allow emergency vehicles to service cul-de-sac residences.
- As a very last resort, the City shall haul snow away from cul-de-sacs if it is deemed necessary to enable movement of emergency vehicles.
- Priorities and schedule for which streets will be plowed
The City has classified City streets based on the street function, traffic volume, and importance to the welfare of the community. Main "hill" streets and arterial routes will be plowed first. These are high volume routes which connect major sections of the City and provide access for emergency fire, police and medical services. Drive areas adjacent to emergency service buildings (Police, Fire, Ambulance, and Hospital) shall also be plowed at this time in order to allow emergency vehicle egress and ingress to these facilities.
The second priority streets are those streets providing access to schools and commercial businesses, City owned parking lots shall also be plowed in conjunction with these streets. The third priority streets are low volume residential streets. The fourth priority areas are alleys and the municipal airport.
- Work schedule for snowplow operators
Snowplow operators will be expected to work eight-hour shifts. In severe snow emergencies, operators sometimes have to work in excess of eight-hour shifts. However, because of safety concerns, no operator shall work more than a sixteen-hour shift in any twenty-four hour period. Operators will take a fifteen minute break every two hours with a half-hour meal break after four hours.
- Weather conditions
Snow and ice control operations will be conducted only when weather conditions do not endanger the safety of City employees and equipment. Factors that may delay snow and ice control operations include; severe cold, significant winds and limited visibility.
- Use of sand, salt and other chemicals
The City will use sand, salt, and other chemicals when there are hazardous ice or slippery conditions. The City is concerned about the effect of such chemicals on the environment and will limit its use for that reason. Application of the sand/salt mixture is generally limited to priority routes, steep grades and high volume intersections. Application is limited on lower volume streets, cul-de-sacs, and parking lots. Due to the highly corrosive nature of the de-icing chemicals utilized by the City, chemicals will not be applied to the Municipal Airport runway, or other areas used by aircraft.
- Sidewalks
The City will perform snow removal operations on some of the sidewalks in the City. Due to the severe impact on vegetation adjacent to sidewalks, sand and chemicals will be applied to sidewalks in limited amounts and only under extreme conditions.
- Property Damage
Snow plowing and ice control operations can cause property damage even under the best of circumstances and care on the part of the operators. The major types of damage are to improvements in the City right-of-way which extends approximately 101 to 151 beyond the curb location. The intent of the right-of-way is to provide room for snow storage, utilities, sidewalks and other City uses. However, certain private improvements such as mailboxes are required within this area. Therefore, the City will cooperate with the property owner to determine if the damage is the responsibility of the City and when it shall be the responsibility of the resident. The City accepts responsibility for mailboxes which are allowed to be placed in the road right-of-way, if the mailbox location and construction complies with recommended City standards (Attachment) and the damage is by physically being struck by a plow blade, wing, or other piece of equipment. Mailboxes should be constructed sturdily enough to withstand snow rolling off a plow or a wing. Therefore, damage resulting from snow is the responsibility of the resident. The City will repair or replace mailboxes in those instances where the City is responsible for the damage. Damage to fences, trees or other structures will be repaired or replaced by the City if they are on private property. Lawns that are scraped or gouged by City equipment will be repaired by top dressing and seeding the following spring. Residents are requested to assist by watering the areas that are repaired.
Landscaping, including nursery and inanimate materials that are installed or encroach on City owned right-of-way are the responsibility of the property owner and assumes all risk of damage. The City will assume no responsibility for damages incurred as the result of snow removal and ice control activities. The City will assume no responsibility for damage to underground lawn sprinkling systems, exterior lighting systems, and similar landscaping installed in City owned right-of-way.
In instances where there is disagreement as to the source of the damage and the responsibility therefore, the Public Works Director and/or Police Department shall determine the responsibility.
- Driveways
One of the most frequent and most irritable problems in removal of snow from public streets is the snow deposited in driveways during plowing operations. Snow being accumulated on the plow blade has no place to go but in the driveway. The driver's make every attempt to minimize the amount of snow deposited in driveways, but the amount can still be significant. Based on priorities and staffing level, City personnel do not provide driveway cleaning. Possible exceptions are at the discretion of the supervisor for emergency situations.
- Mail Delivery
The snow plow operators make every effort to remove snow as close to the curbline as practical and to provide access to mailboxes for the Postal Department. However, it is not possible to provide perfect conditions and minimize damage to mailboxes with the size and type of equipment the City operates. Therefore, the final cleaning adjacent to mailboxes is the responsibility of each resident.
- Complaints
Complaints regarding snow and ice control or damage shall be taken during normal working hours and handled in accordance with the City's complaint procedures. Complaints involving access to property or problems requiring immediate attention shall be handled on a priority basis. Response time should not exceed twenty-four (24) hours for any complaint. It should be understood that complaint responses are to ensure that the provisions of this policy have been fulfilled and that all residents of the City have been treated uniformly. It is the City's intention to log all complaints and upgrade this policy as necessary in consideration of the constraints of our resources.
CITY MAINTAINED SIDEWALKS
- Sidewalks adjacent to City Hall and the parking lot to the south of City Hall.
- Sidewalks adjacent to the Mall parking lot and the pedestrian Mall.
- Sidewalks to the south and east of City Parking Lot *4 (Pizza Ranch).
- Sidewalk in front of Pierre Park.
- Sidewalk in front of the Mayo House and park.
- Sidewalk to the west of the City Parking Lot located in the 200 block of South Main Street.
- Sidewalks adjacent to the Library and Library Parking Lot.
- Sidewalks adjacent to the City Utility/Police Department.
- Sidewalks adjacent to the Historical Society Museum on North Second Street.
- Sidewalks adjacent to and within Legion Park on the north side of Ferry Street from the Nursery School to the east property line of the Community Center.
