A refined snow removal policy was laid out at this week’s City Council meeting.
Derek Kitamura is the Director of Public Works Operations.
“We had a policy but we recognized that it needed to be revised. It was quite short, didn’t have a lot of information in it, so we realized that we needed to revise out snow policy to ensure public safety, maintain essential services, and manage our resources effectively during winter weather events.”
Kitamura says there are two different types of responses.
“Basically we’re on the road, once it starts to snow we’re out there. The policy does state five centimeters but realistically we’re on the road whenever it starts. When it reaches ten that’s when it triggers what we call a full plow. And a full plow involves doing driveways, and wind rowing downtown and areas where there is not a lot of snow storage.”
Kitamura says the full plow is usually after the snow stops so they don’t have to keep going out if it’s a major snowstorm.
He says they also have several different priorities.
“Priority one can be stated as main thoroughfares, emergency services routes, major hills and corners. Priority two would be more the downtown core, main arterial routes, transit/school bus routes. Priority three, low traffic residential roads and then priority four being the alleyways.”
There is also a timeline attached to each.
“Priority one is within 24 hours, priority two within 48 hours, priority three 72 hours and then of course priority four would be 96 hours, which is four days.”
Kitamura says those are maximum response times.
He says they are most likely going to get there before two or three days have past, adding that they are just our guidelines for their crews and supervisors.
