5.a) Continuation of Snow and Ice Control Policy . +
Meeting Date: 2/8/2011
Agenda Item: ��-
� � Q-
City Council Agenda Report
City of Scandia
14727 209th St. North
Scandia, MN 55073 (651) 433-2274
Action Requested: Continue discussion of Snow and Ice Control Policy and practices begun at
the January 11, 2011 Special meeting.
Deadline/Timeline: N/A
Background: • Based on direction received at the January 11 meeting, staff has
prepared the following:
o Proposed revision of Scandia Snowplowing and Ice Control Policy-
- A redlined version of the policy is attached. Additions are
underlined, deletions are e-�essed-e��. Changes discussed at the
January 11 meeting have been incorporated. We have also changed
"Public Works Supervisor"to "Maintenance Supervisor"to more
accurately reflect current position titles.
o Information on use of salt versus a salt/sand mix— Staff was asked
to investigate the possible savings from using a salt/sand mix and
cleaning up residual sand that might be left on the streets compared to
the current practice of using straight salt. A memo is attached.
� One issue that was not addressed at the January 11 meeting is
replacement of a plow truck, which is included in the 2011 budget.
Recommendation: Staff recommends that the Council review this information, and give any
further direction for changes to the policy. A final draft will be prepared for
consideration at the February 15, 2011 regular meeting.
The Council may also wish to give some direction on the next steps for
replacement of the plow truck; specifically, how the Council wants to be
involved with evaluating the purchase.
Attachments/ • Scandia Snowplowing and Ice Control Policy, redlined version for
Materials provided: discussion February 8, 2011
• Memo dated February 4, 2011 from Building Official/Maintenance
Supervisor Steve Thorp
Contact(s):
Prepared by: Steve Thorp, Building Official/Maintenance
Supervisor
Anne Hurlburt, Administrator
(Snow and Ice Control Policy Feb 8 meeting)
Page 1 of 1
02/04/11
City of Scandia, Minnesota
Snowplowing and Ice Control Policy
Adopted October 7, 2008
and Amended January 20, 2009
DRAFT FOR DISCUSSION FEBRUARY 8. 2011
1. Introduction
The city of Scandia, Minnesota, finds that it is in the best interest of the residents of 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 attempt to
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.
This policy does not relieve the operator of private vehicles, pedestrians, property owners,
residents and all others that may be using public streets, of their responsibility to act in a
reasonable, prudent and cautious manner, given the prevailing street conditions.
2. When will city start snow or ice control operations?
� The D„'�';^ �z7�r'��Maintenance Supervisor will decide when to begin snow or ice control
operations. The criteria for that decision are:
A. Snow accumulation of two (2) inches or more;
B. Drifting of snow that causes problems for travel;
C. Icy conditions which seriously affect travel; and
D. Time of snowfall in relationship to heavy use of streets.
Snow and ice control operations are expensive and involve the use of limited personnel and
equipment. Consequently snowplowing operations will not generally be conducted for
snowfall of less than two (2) inches, and will typically not be commenced until the snowfall
has stopped.
Between major snow events, snow and ice removal will continue during regular work shifts
subject to the availability of personnel and equipment.
3. How snow will be plowed
Snow will be plowed in a manner so as to minimize traffic obstructions. The center of the
roadway will be plowed first. The snow shall then be pushed from left to right on two-way
I streets. The discharge shall go onto the boulevard area or ditch of the street. Win��plows
will be used to clear roads to their full width unless conditions dictate otherwise. Snow on
cul-de-sacs may be plowed to the center in an attempt to provide the largest turning radius
possible for emergency vehicle ingress and egress. When a plow goes on a bridge, the driver
shall slow down so snow does not go over the bridge, if possible. In times of extreme
snowfall, streets will not always immediately be able to be completely cleared of snow. The
city will not assure a completely bare roadway. The city will endeavor to make all roads
passable within a reasonable amount of time after snowfal] has stopped.
� DRAFT FOR DISCUSSION FEBRUARY 8,2011 1
City of Scandia
List of Sidewalks Maintained
� , Februarv 8, 2011
Olinda Trail (County Road 3) from 209th Street to Highway 97
Oakhill Road (County Road 52) from Oakhill Court to Olinda Trail (County Road 3)
� DRAFT FOR DISCUSSION FEBRUARY 8,2011 6
emorandum
To: Anne Hurlburt, City Administrator
From: Steve Thorp, Maintenance Supervisor
Date: 2/4/2011
Re: Salt Versus Salt/Sand Mix
Currently the City of Scandia uses rock salt only to melt the ice on the asphalt
roadways and this has been the practice for awhile. Each of the large plow trucks
can hold about 7 tons of salt. (The 1-ton pick-up is used for placing trap rock on the
gravel roads.) With a normal snow event each large plow truck will use
approximately 14 tons of salt. In 2010 we used 350 ton of salt. In an average year, I
would be comfortable in saying that we would use between 300 ton and 400 ton of
salt.
We are now stockpiling the salt so that we do not have to run for salt during a snow
event. However we did not finish the salt shed early enough to get the benefit of the
state bid price for salt (sign-up is in June). We are still getting a much better price
than we have previously paid, as we are buying direct from Cargill Deicing
Division. Our pricing this year has been about $68 a ton delivered which computes
to about $1,900 per snow event for 28 tons. We expect 12 snow events per year on
average.
If we were to mix the salt at a ratio of 10%, at $12 a ton for sand, for 25 tons of sand
it would be $300 and $200 for salt, or$500 per snow event for the salt/sand mix.
Assuming the mix would work equally well as straight salt, with an average of 12
snow events per year, the City could save about $16,800 ($1,400 x 12) on the cost of
salt. In reality, the salt would melt the ice better. The mix could possibly provide
better traction on the ice. But it might take an additional application of the sand mix
to achieve the results garnered from the salt, which could negate the cost savings.
It has been the practice of the City to use straight salt at hazardous locations like
stop signs, curves and hills but not on the entire road. The salt is dribbled down the
center of the road and slowly melts the ice as it melts out towards the shoulders.
The drivers will use salt in the hazardous locations as they plow the first direction
and then on the return trip will dribble the salt down the center to start the melting
process.
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February 4, 2011
The cost of a street sweeper ranges from $150,000 to over$200,000 new and used
sweepers can be found for around $50,000 with a fair amount of searching. To
contract with a company that owns a sweeper is about $3,500 per week but is
something most companies do not offer except with a long term agreement. Without
having anything to use for a basis, it would be my assumption that it could take
several weeks to sweep and remove the sand.
It would be difficult to predict which roads would have to be swept and which not.
It's also difficult to compute the ecological impact that the sand would have on
wetlands and waterways. With the amount of bicycle use in the City, I would
assume that most of the streets would require some kind of sweeping. I would guess
that 25%of the sand would need to be swept up which means that we would need to
find a location for 75 tons of used sand. Using this guess, 75% of the sand would
find its way into our drainage areas and ultimately settle in the waterways here in
Scandia.
The use of straight salt has been the practice of the City as it seems to be more
effective and take less labor time to apply. (MnDOT and Washington County also
use mostly salt.) It would be my recommendation to stick with the salt as it is hard
to quantify some of the environmental costs of using sand, hard to know how well
the sand mix works compared to straight salt and how much clean up would be
required. Weighing in the environmental impacts, the extra safety factor of the salt
working faster and the unknowns, I would recommend staying with the salt.
departments/publicwork s/streets/plowing
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