Lamont snow removal policies clarified for council

BY JOHN MATHER

The procedure in place for snow removal in Lamont were explained in detail to Lamont town council Jan. 10.

“I just wanted to update council to review our current policies and show the considerations when the policy is put into action,“ said Lamont Director of Operations and Infrastructure, Tyler Edworthy.

“Snow clearing commences with a snow pack of four inches in height while snow removal begins with a snow pack of eight inches in height.”

He said there would be no snow removal after March 31 of each season.

Snow would not be placed on sidewalks unless it was an emergency or if there are sidewalks on both sides of the roadway, he added. Signs would be placed 24-hours ahead of snow clearing activities.

He said the policy listed priorities, weather trends and the challenges faced by the Town employees as they put snow clearing into effect.

He showed council a priority road map which is also available on the Town’s website.

He said resident and staff safety, access to emergency services, protecting property access and residential access were priorities when selecting the priority routes.

Those routes play the key role in determining snow removal. He said current and future weather conditions also play a role in how quickly the roads are cleared.

He added parking considerations also play a role in how efficiently the Town can clear snow.

Edworthy said changing weather also plays a role because we can now see snow, rain or freezing rain during the winter months. That means public works have to be on top of changing the equipment used to clear the streets by changing blades on equipment and when to use sanders against plowing the snow.

He said these changing weather patterns can also lead to equipment failure, so his staff has to keep on top of this as well as being out maintaining roads.

Besides extreme weather conditions needing to be overcome, he said creating windrows and moving the snow at a later date improves the Town’s efficiency at clearing the roads. The windrows can then be piled and hauled away at a later date.

“The windrows do narrow the roadways, so residents have to be aware of this and it could hinder on-street parking in some areas.”

He says the Town does inform residents of the new snow removal practices which includes making windrows.

“We’ll show a map showing where windrows will be placed so residents are aware ahead of time.”

He said the community is kept informed on snow clearing progress with regular updates. The Town, he said, tries to maintain a minimum snow pack on the road because that provides a base level of snow for clearing without damaging the pavement and also acts as insulation for below ground infrastructure.

As the season progresses, he said the windrows, which haven’t been removed, are taken away to help speed up drainage and workers go out to open any catch basins which may be plugged with snow and ice. After opening the session to questions, Councillor Al Harvey asked while the Town does a good job of snow removal and clearing in alleys, but what about clearing the sidewalks that cross the alleys?

“Residents aren’t responsible for that and it can build up creating difficult walking conditions for residents.”

He also questioned when windrows were put on both sides of the roads, and the windrows were placed between the roads and sidewalk, were gaps put in the windrow to make it easier for people getting to their vehicles.

Edworthy said he had discussed pathways to each house with his staff.

“We do try to make sure each resident does maintain access to their houses.”

In the issue with sidewalks adjacent to alleyways he said the sidewalk is treated as a road, so it would be cleared at the same time to try and prevent any snow or ice build up.

He said they are generally cleared to the pavement when snow is being removed from town.

Councillor Dave Taylor offered kudos to the department saying the snow clearing was the best he had seen in a few years.

Councillor Perry Koroluk wondered who had the responsibility for the gap between the railway at 50 Ave. and Highway 15 because he had heard from some residents about it being built up and not regularly plowed.

Edworthy said that small section was actually the responsibility of the road crew working for the province in charge of maintaining Highway 15, but his crews had gone in and plowed it recently because of the snow build up.

“That’s something we will do to maintain the intersection, but the province’s crews are responsible for a certain distance from the highway and it includes that area. I will be talking to them further about this.’

Councillor Colleen Holowaychuk asked if snow could be windrowed down the centre of the road and Edworthy said it created parking issues.

“By windrowing on one side of the road, we do leave one side open for parking, but if it is windrowed down the centre of the roadway it can cut down the ability to park on either side of the road.”

He added when the snow is going to be hauled away it would be moved to a centre windrow to make the hauling process easier.

When asked if there were any issues with private contractors clearing snow for residents from their driveways and where they piled it, Edworthy said they had to be aware that it couldn’t be piled in any manner which might cause drainage issues further down the block.