HomeMy WebLinkAbout55-13 - Res. Establishing Winter Snow and Ice Control ObjectivesRESOLUTION 55-13
A RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING WINTER SNOW AND ICE CONTROL OBJECTIVES
WHEREAS, Mason County Public Works (MCPW) provides maintenance to the approximately 618 miles of
Mason County's road system;
WHEREAS, it is the goal of MCPW to maintain these roads in as safe a condition as possible during the
winter months, depending on weather conditions, available budget, manpower and equipment;
WHEREAS, MCPW has established winter maintenance guidelines to place priorities for snow and ice
control and on October 22; 2013 the Mason County Board of Commissioners find these guidelines to be
acceptable;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, the Board hereby adopts the MCPW snow and ice control activities:
I. OBJECTIVES
Snow and ice control operations is the departments number one maintenance priority during the winter months.
Typical hours of operation for snow and ice control are from the hours of 4:00 AM to 9:00 PM, allowing a focus on
the morning and evening commuter travel times. Local access roads will be addressed only during normal working
hours, unless circumstances require Public Works staff to evaluate.
Due to the nature of winter weather conditions it is an unrealistic expectation to have a roadway completely and
immediately clear from snow or ice. MCPW goal is to maintain roads in a passable driving condition for vehicles
that are properly equipped for winter driving conditions. Motorists are expected to modify their driving practices
in accordance with road conditions. More information on winter driving can be found at the Washington State
Patrol website; www.wsp.wa gov or the Washington State Department of Transportation website;
http://www.wsdot.wa.gov.
Due to our geographic location, Mason County can have several "micro -climates" during winter events, so localized
conditions can vary drastically from one area to another.
II. LEVEL OF SERVICE
Type of Treatment:
Asphalt roads may be treated with sand, salt, and liquid de -icier at intersections, bridges curves, and hills. Snow
plowing will generally not commence until snow has reached a 2" depth, and is expected to continue
accumulating. Gravel roads will be plowed with a motor grader. During extreme weather conditions, the county
may close roadways, or cease maintenance operations, until conditions improve.
Priority of Treatment:
In the implementation of the snow and ice removal of the county roads, Public Works officials shall select the
actual sequence of roads in each district for efficient treatment in the following order:
• Requested emergency vehicle routes that are responding to emergency calls
• Primary Roads
• Secondary Roads
• Local Access Roads
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The county's level of service will be a plowed and/or treated lane of travel in each direction.
Once this level of service has been met, lower priority roads will be addressed.
III. OTHER ISSUES
Damage:
Nail Boxes — MCPW will repair, or replace only those mailboxes damaged due to direct contact
with county equipment. Any replacement of mailboxes will consist of a generic, standard size
metal mailbox mounted on a 4" wooden post. Property owners who have an ornamental or
decorative mailbox in the county easement do so at their own risk.
Driveways — MCPW assumes no responsibility for the removal of snow deposited in driveways
as a result of snow plowing. It is not practical to change the plow blade angle to avoid
driveways. A snow berm may be deposited both during the initial plowing phase, and again
during widening and mop up operations. Exact times cannot be provided on when individual
roads will be plowed.
Turf/Landscaping — Landscaping and lawns, including but not limited to; shrubs, trees,
inanimate objects, etc. installed by a property owner within the county easement will be the
responsibility of the owner and the owner assumes all risk of damage to such items.
Furthermore, the County cannot reasonably control the drift or discharge of snow and/or
shoulder materials from the snowplow into ditches and lawns. The County will not be
responsible for the removal/repair of any shrubs, yard ornamentation, and turf or landscaping,
should materials inadvertently cast into adjacent lawn areas by the plow.
Stranded/Blocking Vehicles — Employees will try to assist the occupants of a stalled or stranded
vehicle by contacting MACE-Com by radio. County equipment should not be used to push or
pull a privately owned vehicle unless specifically authorized by the Director and/or his/her
designee.
ADOPTED this
ATTEST:
levuu
day of (jd, 2013.
Diane Zoren, Clerk of tlWe Board
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
Tim Whitehead, Chief Deputy
Prosecuting Attorney
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
MASON COUNTY; WA S H I N G T O N
R(dy Neatherlin, Chair
Tim Sheldon, Commissioner
Terri Jeffreys, Comm'issione
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