Lake Mills Snow

Snowplowing Policy
The snowplowing program is designed to open traffic lanes to safe travel during and after a snowfall event. The street department uses labor, equipment, gas, salt and sand to complete this phase of snow removal. The city generally completes the plowing of city streets prior to 7:00 a.m. for safe traffic to work and school, to reduce conflicts with morning traffic and to begin downtown snow removal operations. This work is performed following a priority pattern designed to provide service to the greatest number of motorists where the need is the most crucial. The street system maintained by the City includes "Major Streets", "Local Streets" and several alleys that are prioritized based on traffic volumes. The City has a "Bare Pavement" level of service policy for number “1” priority streets.
Street Priority
1. Major streets such as Main Street, Lake Street, Mulberry Street and Madison Street.
2. Local streets with steep grades and sharp curves.
3. The remainder of the local residential streets and courts.
4. Parking lots, alleys and cemetery roads.
The attack plan in the City’s snow removal and ice control efforts will obviously vary considerably depending on the storm event. A sleet storm would be primarily an ice control operation involving salt spreaders. A less than 2" snowfall would find salt spreaders and plow trucks concentrating on number "1" and “2” priority streets. Number "3" and “4” priority streets may only be salted on these small events. Larger Snows (2" or more) would show an initial concentration on the number "1" and “2” priority streets with an ongoing effort to keep them open during the snow event and additional effort applied to number "3" and “4” priority streets. Overtime plowing and ice control would begin on local streets once the accumulations reach approximately 2" and the major streets are completed.
Ice control (salting) operations should be initiated when street conditions are determined by the senior police officer on duty to generally prohibit the safe control of vehicles either city wide or at specialized locations (intersections, hills). The senior police officer on duty shall notify the street foreman of this determination. To effectively provide ice control, the Department uses the application of road salt. Rock salt, even with its known environmental draw backs, is still the principal element used for ice control purposes. Occasionally, sand is mixed with salt or calcium chloride to increase traction during ice storms or periods of extreme cold. However, the use of sand is generally avoided as it tends to fill and clog storm drains.
The department will not plow any snow during initial salting operations. This allows the salt to begin reacting and reduces ice packs.
The department will use salt at the minimum amounts recommended by the American Public Works Association (APWA) for specific weather conditions. This is to reduce water runoff issues.
The department will only use sand for ice control operations when temperatures are consistently below the effective level of salt. This reduces silting in Rock Creek and improves street safety.
Snowplowing operations should be initiated when there is an accumulation of one (1) inch or more of snow, significant drifting or when the street foreman determines to initiate snowplowing operations with the goal of one hundred percent (100%) of the city streets being significantly cleared by 7:00 a.m.
There are extenuating circumstances to these policies in every snow event. The Police Department may call and request salting because of slippery conditions, wind conditions may require special actions, time of day may require plowing before staff leaves work or because of school issues. City staff makes every effort to make the best decision for the set of circumstances presented.
Level of Service - Observed or desired pavement conditions at various points in time, during and after, winter weather events.
Based on available resources
1. Pavement condition goals at various times
2. Level of effort for various storm conditions
3. Priority, timing and type of treatment for various locations