TOWN OF DUNBARTON, N.H.
STANDARD OPERATING
PROCEDURES
SNOW REMOVAL AND ICE CONTROL
POLICY: It is the goal and intent of the Town of Dunbarton to provide timely, efficient and cost-effective winter maintenance, snow removal and ice control on the roadways of the municipality for the safety and benefit of the Town residents and the general motoring public.
PROCEDURE: The objective stated above will be achieved
by implementation and execution of the procedures and tasks outlined in the
Town of Dunbarton Winter Operations Snow Removal and Ice Control
Procedures. Due to the many variables
that are inherent in New England weather, each storm and/or weather event may
require slightly different effort and/or emphasis on any number of maintenance
tasks, which together, determine the overall winter maintenance, snow removal
or ice control strategy.
LEVEL
OF SERVICE: It is not possible to maintain
a black snow and ice-free road during a storm.
It is the intention of the Town of Dunbarton to provide practical, safe
access to homes, businesses and municipal facilities during winter storms.
It
is our policy to start to conduct snow removal operations upon accumulations of
two-inches of snowfall. The Road Agent
may, at his discretion based upon weather information reports, elect to not
remove snow until greater or lesser accumulations.
Pre-treatment
and ice control may be addressed prior to the actual storm beginning, during
the actual storm as seen effective, and proceeding the storm. It should be noted that salt has a much
slower effect on melting snow and ice at temperatures below 25 degrees, and may
not be applied until it is warmer.
COMMAND: Direction of all winter maintenance
activities for the Town of Dunbarton is vested with the Road Agent or his
designee.
EXECUTION: The policy outlined above is intended to
serve as the normal operating procedures for winter maintenance, snow removal
and/or ice control for the Town of Dunbarton.
One or more of the following, which may delay or prevent the
implementation of this policy, may affect all or any part of this Policy:
·
Equipment Breakdown
·
Snow Accumulation in Excess of 1” Per Hour
·
Freezing Rain or Other Icing Conditions
·
Traffic Congestion
·
Emergencies
·
Personnel illness
ADOPTION:
The
Town of Dunbarton has adopted the Winter Operations Snow Removal and Ice
Control Policy effective November 16, 2000.
All residents are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the content
as it describes the condition that one might expect to encounter before, during
and following a winter storm event.
__Merton
Mann, Chairman________
__John
R. Swindlehurst, III ______
__Charles
Graybill_______________
BOARD
OF SELECTMEN
TOWN
OF DUNBARTON, N. H.
November
16, 2000
SNOW REMOVAL AND ICE CONTROL
PROCEDURES
(Includes Highways and
Parking Areas)
EQUIPMENT: The Highway Department utilizes all the
assets of the department as needed to address snow emergencies. A list of the current rolling stock assets is
included in the appendix.
ROUTES: Currently, the Town is divided into five (5)
major plow and/or treatment routes.
There is one (1) small trucks with 4-way plows used to maintain
emergency service facilities, municipal parking areas, and to assist in support
of trucks assigned specific routes.
MANPOWER: The Town of Dunbarton has
one full-time employee assigned to its winter maintenance operation. In addition, a labor pool of four part-time
operators called independent contractors can be called into service.
MATERIALS: The Department uses approximately 500 tons of
rock salt and 2000 cubic yards of sand each season. The sand is used as an abrasive and is
applied to the road to improve the public’s motor vehicles traction. Salt is employed by the Department as a
de-icing and anti-icing agent. The
entire supply of sand is purchased each year and stockpiled at the Highway
Department. Rock salt is purchased from
a supplier as needed. A limited quantity
of approximately 65 tons is stockpiled by the Highway Department. Unless weather conditions require a different
approach, winter maintenance routes are treated with a mixture of sand and
salt. (If no salt is requested by a town
resident, the decision not to use salt on that road will be at the discretion
of the Road Agent.) The mixture is maintained at a minimum of one part salt to
two parts sand. The mixture is applied
to the center of the roadway where traffic can work the mix traveling either
way. The mixture, in conjunction with
traffic action, creates a watery brine melting snow and/or ice, and resisting
snow and ice packing on the roadway. The
road crown further assists with the spreading of the mixture brine. The sand/salt mixture is only effective to
approximately 20 degrees Fahrenheit.
COMMUNICATIONS: The majority of the Public Works rolling
stock is equipped with two way radios capable of transmitting by radios and
cell phones. Each plow and equipment
operator is assigned a unique call number.
A list of all call numbers is displayed in each piece of equipment or
truck. A copy of the current call
numbers is included as an appendix to this policy.
SCHOOLS: The Highway Department has
the responsibility for the clearing of snow and winter treatment of the Town of
Dunbarton schools access road and parking lots.
On days when school is in session, winter maintenance efforts must be
timed to coincide with bus routing and delivery.
The
school superintendent or designated official representative shall contact the
Highway Department to determine the condition of the municipalities roads in
order to determine the safety of students using school buses. The school representatives shall make the
decision to cancel or postpone school for that day.
PARKING: The town has enacted a winter parking ban
effective from November 15th to April 1st of each
year. This ban prohibits parking in or
on the towns roads, rights of way and municipal parking lots between the hours
of 10:00 PM and 6:00 AM. The Town has
the right to tow or ticket violators.
The purpose of this winter parking ban is to allow winter maintenance
crews unobstructed snow removal and ice control routes, as much as possible, to
maintain the maximum effectiveness of their efforts.
PLOW
ROUTE PRIORITIES: With approximately 65 miles of
roads from which to remove snow and control ice and five pieces of equipment to
handle this responsibility, the Highway Department has to assign priorities for
winter maintenance route activity in order to maximize the effectiveness of
their efforts for the motoring public.
A. School bus routes will be
given the first priority during school days.
Each plow route will ensure that the best possible snow clearance will
be completed within one hour of the bus route time.
B. Public parking areas at the
Town Offices, each municipal department, and the Town Hall/Library parking lot
will be maintained by plowing during the winter storm. The application of slip resistant materials will
be applied after the storm as determined to be needed by the Road Agent.
C. Transfer Station/Recycle
Center: The Highway Department will plow
this area prior to opening for public use.
Transfer station personnel may be required to assist with the Town’s
general winter maintenance operations.
If the facility is open during the snow or ice storm, personnel will
keep public areas as clear as possible to provide as safe access as reasonably
possible. Sand and other slip resistant
materials shall be used in public areas.
It often will not be possible to maintain clear ground, but a reasonable
effort will be made during storms.
D. Fire Hydrants: All hydrants shall be kept clear of snow by
the Highway Department.
E. Each specific plow route is
depicted on the map attached to this policy.
ROADS
NOT RECEIVING WINTER MAINTENANCE: The Town of Dunbarton does not maintain various
roadways as part of its ongoing winter maintenance activities. The areas not maintained by the Town include:
a. Some Town roads classified
as Class VI roads.
b. Private roads
DAMAGE
TO PRIVATE PROPERTY: It should be noted that the municipality isn’t held responsible for
damage to private property that is located within the public right of way. (RSA 236:15)
The right of way (ROW) is often 50’ wide, and is often confused by
property owners as their own property.
In most cases, the ROW often extends 10 to 20 feet of either side of the
paved or gravel road. Homeowners often
cultivate extensions of their lawns, place mailboxes, erect fences or stonewalls
in these areas, which improves the appearance of the street greatly, but is
obstructive to good maintenance from being conducted on the roadway.
In
the event of personal property damage, the Town of Dunbarton will only be
responsible to repair or replace damaged property having been in actual contact
with the snow removal equipment that is on private property and not within the
public right-of-way.
PLACING
SNOW UPON CERTAIN ROADS AND STREETS:
a. No person shall put or place
or cause to be put or placed any snow or ice upon the surface of the traveled
portion of any Class V or Class IV highway or town-maintained portion of a
Class III highway except with town approval by the Road Agent or his designated
representative.
b. Any person violating this
ordinance shall be subject to a penalty not exceeding the following:
1. First Offense – Written
warning
2. Second Offense - $50 penalty
3. Third Offense - $100 penalty
POST
STORM OPERATIONS: As determined by the Road Agent, the snow banks resulting from the
previous accumulations shall be pushed back, or shelved, using the plow and
wing of the grader or other suitable equipment to make space for future snow
storms.
Snow
Removal from the Town Center: During the
initial stages of the storm, only the roadways through the town center will be
plowed.
ASSISTING
STRANDED MOTORISTS: Operators are not allowed to tow or jump start private vehicles. Operators will stop if they can and call
assistance via radio to the office for stranded motorists.
PLOWING
PRIVATE DRIVEWAYS: plow operators are prohibited
from plowing private driveways. The
supervisors who have their trucks at home may plow their driveways to get out.
LIST OF CURRENT ROLLING STOCK ASSETS:
1. Grader
2. One-ton
dump truck with plow & sander
3. Five-ton
International with plow, wing and sander.
Operator: Alan Sheldon Operator:
Jan VandeBogart
1. Barnard Hill Rd (Share with operator #4) 1.
Robert Rogers Road
2. Rangeway Road
2. Tenney Hill Road 3. Guinea Rd (Robert Rogers end)
3. Burnahm Lane 4. Putney Road
4. Grapevine Road 5. County Road
5. Gile Hill Road 6. Montalona Road
6. Guinea Road 7. Kimball Pond Road.
7. Transfer Station (Robert
Rogers end)
8. Twist Hill Road
9. Ordway Road
l0. Kelsea Road
11.
Purgatory Pond Road
12.
Armands Way
13.
Jacqueline Drive
14.
Jay Drive
Route #3 Route
#4
Operator: Simon Audet Operator:
Bill Nichols
1. Gorham Pond
Road 1.
Barnard Hill Road (Shared with
2. Gorham Pond
Area Roads (Shared with #5) Operator #1)
3. Powell Lane 2. Everett Dam Road
4. Black Brook
Road 3.
Mansion Rd
5. Olde Mill Brook
Road 4. Stark Lane
6. Long Pond Road 5. Winslow Road
7. Long Pond
Access 6. Ray Road
8. Little Lane 7. Clifford Farm Road
9. Kimball Pond
Road (Little Lane end) 8. Old Hopkinton Road
10. Story Hill Road,
east & west 9. Old Fort Lane
11. Meadow Lane 10.
Devil Steps Road
12. Town Farm Lane 11. Farrington Corner Road
13. Birchview Drive 12.
Alexander Road
14. Flintlock Road 13.
North Woods Road
15. Moose Point Drive
Route #5
Operator: Bill Preston
School
Library
Fire/Police Department
Town Office
ALL ROUTES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE AT THE DISCRETION OF THE
ROAD AGENT.