6.10. SR 02-05-1996ITEl4 6.10.
ity of
iver
FROM:
DATE:
SUBJECT:
MEMORANDUM
Mayor & City Council
Phil Hals, Street/Park Supt.
February 5, 1996
Snow Removal Activities
The weather during the last half of January has indeed presented a challenge
for the people and equipment of the street department.
Due to the extremely cold weather, the road salt has been ineffective so some
streets have developed scattered slippery spots, but the streets are generally
in good winter driving condition.
Our greatest difficulty has been dealing with the ice/snow mixture on the
sidewalks. The problem has been aggravated by snowmobiles compacting the
snow and making it even more difficult to clear. We continue to work on
these sidewalks, but progress has been slow.
I have had requests for city assistance from residents who have sidewalks
that are not part of our non-motorized pathway system. If the Council wishes
for us to help these people, I would suggest a Council declared "unique snow
event", or some such terminology, so that we might deviate from our snow
plowing policy without setting a long term precedent. The other alternative
is to leave the sidewalks covered with snow until spring.
We have at least five days work left on the non-motorized pathway system
that we normally plow. The cost is about $55 per block for equipment and
$40 per block for labor whether it is on city maintained walks or resident
maintained walks.
Another situation that has brought numerous requests is snow in front of
mailboxes. By our snow plowing policy, we plow as near to mailboxes as
possible, and it is up to the property owner to clear away the remaining snow.
Due to the high banks and hardness of the snow, if we push the banks back
harder, I fear that the snow and ice will break off mailbox posts.
If the Council supports a city assistance project, which is a deviation from our
snow plowing policy, I would suggest a Council declared "unique snow event"
13065 Orono Parkway · P.O. Box 490 · Elk River, MN 55330 ° (612) 441-7420 · Fax: (612) 441-7425
which would again allow some variation from the policy without setting a
long term precedent.
The procedure I would propose is to have the grader pull the snow from under
the mailboxes and out into the street, the loader and big blower to blow the
snow onto the boulevard, and a truck plow coming behind to clean up. I
estimate that it will take 5 to 7 working days to cover the city.
The cost for this operation is about $100 per hour for equipment and $60 per
hour for labor or a project total of $5,600 for equipment and $3,360 for labor.
A long term solution to 95 percent of the mailbox problems would be city
approved mailbox standards on larger lots and clustered mailboxes on small
lots and in cul-de-sacs. I would be happy to help develop a program if the
Council so desired.
I request Council direction on these two situations.
s:kcouncilksnowevnt, doc
TYPICAL MAILBOX DETAIL --
36"- ,'I¢' DETAIL A'~
24
36"
STANDARD
- 1O660" O.[
~ 318" ~ DFi
~ 5' SIGN PO
16-1/4"
4-1/4"
( THIS END FIXED )
DETAIL B
DETAIL A
DRILL
SHERBURNE COUNTY HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT
APPROVED
MAILBOX SUPPORT
12/9/93