Council Approves Snow Policy

There is no business like snow business like no business I know…. may be a knockoff from a 1946 classic musical but as a topic at Council it was nothing like the past.

On Monday night Council was presented with the new snow clearing policy (Winter Maintenance Policy) an improved version of past policies. A policy which not only changes some priorities but additionally will see the City clear sidewalks adjacent to parks and City property as well.

“The little skiff was a warning about what is to come in the season,” city manager Jim Puffalt said kicking off the introduction of the policy.

According to a report by Administration the new policy aims to see all primary routes plowed within 96 hours and moves to 24 hour shifts to accomplish this.

The 2019 policy will see snow clearing targets doing more roads and more quickly than the 2011 policy.

Under the 2011 Winter Maintenance Policy targets were:

o Priority 1 roads to be cleared within 72 hours of a storm event

o Priority 2 roads to be cleared within 180 hours of a storm event

o Priority 3 roads to be maintained based on rutting and drainage

Comparison Of 2011 Versus 2019 Policies - source City of Moose Jaw

Under the 2019 Winter Maintenance Policy targets are:

o Priority 1 roads to be cleared within 24 hours of a storm event

o Priority 2 roads to be cleared within 48 hours of a storm event

o Priority 3 roads to be cleared within 72 hours of a storm event

o Priority 4 roads to be cleared within 96 hours of a storm event.

o Priority 5 roads will be maintained based on rutting and drainage

o Priority 6 parking lots to be maintained based on condition

“What we see here is an increase to our policy,’ director engineering Josh Mickleborough stated.

In discussion around the new policy Councillor Dawn Luhning (who is the City's representative on the Downtown Business Association) asked about the new policy seemingly only clearing snow from Main Street.

“I think there is a motion somewhere that in the first 72 hours the Downtown gets cleared out,” Councillor Luhning said, adding “because I work Downtown I understand Downtown..the parking meters are clogged “

“I would like to know how the Downtown is cleaned out.”

Snow In Metered Parking Spots Awaits Removal - MJ Independent File Photo

Mickleborough replied if it is a major snow event snow will be piled so as to allow parking on one side.

Councillor Luhning replied it seemed to her some of the parking areas just off of Main Street were never cleared properly and people were getting stuck while parked at meters.

Additionally she asked when and how will snow be removed at the meters to assist Downtown merchants and their customers.

Puffalt said it was “the intent to windrow that snow” to the center of the road which would be “somewhat disruptive but at least you get one parking and driving lane.”

Councillor Luhning has asked about cleaning out parking stalls in other snowfalls.

On the issue of expanded snow removal from sidewalks beside parks and City owned property Councillor Chris Warren asked about the timeline.

“I certainly hope we know our roads are a priority but having inaccessible is a difficult challenge for (many) people in the community,” Councillor Warren said.

Clearing the sidewalks will be completed without additional resources according to the policy.

Councillor Scott McMann asked about a communication policy and how the City planned to alert residents as to where the plowing was occuring and when snow routes were declared and where.

Mickleborough said the Engineering Department will be working with the Communications Director to establish a way to alert the citizenry

Councillor McMann additionally asked about an oversight if clearing out High Street West from 4th Avenue NW to 2nd Ave NW and stopping there making it difficult for people to get Downtown.

“I know it’s a priority…people (will) look at us and say what are you people doing?’

Map Showing High St West Being A Priority Until 2nd Ave NW - source City of Moose Jaw

There were a few brief moments of confusion when Mayor Fraser Tolmie stated his map showed the section of High Street in question as red (a high priority) whereas the councillors' nap showed the stretch of road on blue (a lower priority).

‘How can I voted on it? I am voting on it it is red they are voting on it's blue…what am I voting for?” Mayor Tolmie asked.

“It’s a minor change and if your wishes are to make it red we will make it red,” Mickleborough replied.

Councillor Brian Swanson spoke about the policy being to rigid and it dealt with snowfall after the fact.

“Most of the policy is after the snowfall but we do not mention during the snowfall,” Councillor Swanson said.

The policy was not worth as much as well trained grader operators who knew the City and how varying weather conditions meant plowing in certain areas and ways the policy did not make allowance for he said.

“We need to get our graders out sooner rather than later,” he said.

Councillor Swanson said it was like most policies where “the really unimportant part gets lots of detail and the important parts are vague…common sense is more important than 20 pages of policy.”

Councillor Warren stated he agreed with getting the graders out early “while the snow is coming down that is important.”

Mickleborough stated on many occasions responsibility for clearing the roads falls to the people in the field who understand the conditions.

“It’s a live activity when you are clearing with a blizzard and we try to be responsive,” he said.

Additionally the City will still hire contractors - by tender - to assist with snow plowing and hauling when required.

The policy was approved in its entirety on a motion which included an amendment making High Street West a Priority 1 street.