Council adopts updated snow removal policies

Theresa Davis, Gazette Editor
Posted 11/30/17

Kemmerer residents can sign up for the city’s citizen notification system to receive notifications when the city will be plowing certain streets.

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Log in

Council adopts updated snow removal policies

Posted

With the winter Kemmerer had last year, not many people want to think about the snow piling up again.

But the City of Kemmerer is geared up to keep things running smoothly this winter.

The city council adopted updated city snow removal policies at the regular council meeting at City Hall on Monday, Nov. 27.

“We updated the policy with lessons learned from last winter,” Nelson said.

Nelson worked with the street department and the police department to update snow removal policies

Nelson mentioned that the snow removal policies hadn’t been updated for a few years, back when the street department and the city had more staff.

Kemmerer residents can sign up for the city’s citizen notification system to receive notifications when the city will be plowing certain streets.

Residents can sign up on the Residents tab on kemmerer.org.

Because residents enter their address when they sign up for the citizen notification system, the city can send out emails, texts or voicemails to residents who live in a certain area where the city will be plowing the next morning — allowing residents adequate time to remove their cars and objects from the road.

Nelson reminded the council and the public of the city’s snow removal policies that concern residents and business owners.

Before the snow plow has plowed a street, residents can push snow from their driveways or property into the road.

But after the plow has come by, residents must push snow all the way to the berm in the middle of the road and pack it in tight.

Nelson and street department head Chad Nielson agreed that this makes the street department’s work more effective.

The Kemmerer Police Department will educate and warn residents about these rules before they ticket and tow.

“Cooperation allows the city to move equipment efficiently and effectively, and also be better at giving people the access they need,” Nelson said.

The snow removal routes are divided into four priority levels:

• primary

• secondary

• tertiary (residential with low traffic)

• culdesacs / dead ends / alleys

“We first focus on access to the hospital, government buildings — including  the senior center — and schools,” Nelson said.

Nelson also said the policy outlines four levels of snowstorm severity and  what the street department is required to do in each case.

“This allows the city to manage the public’s expectations of what we’re able to do,” Nelson said.

The updated policies also ensure that street maintenance workers will receive adequate rest.