S-curve added to city’s snow routes
Streets maintained during storms according to priority level
The Sterling City Council received the city’s updated snow removal handbook at their meeting Tuesday night. The plan was updated this year to include the S-cur ve.
The handbook lays out the objectives and priorities of the snow removal plan. The focus of the plan is to allow for “safe and orderly movement of automobile traffic on the streets of the City of Sterling” during adverse weather.
According to the plan, the city receives an average of 27 inches of snow each year. “Because it would involve extremely high equipment and labor costs, the City cannot economically justify removing all accumulations of snowfall from all the streets in the City,” it notes.
Thus the top priority of the plan is to plow and remove snow on major ar terials that are necessary for police, sheriff, fire department and hospital access, as well as school bus unloading zones.
Number 2 on the list is the plowing and removal of snow in the central business district, followed by plowing remaining arterials, selected collector streets and access to all schools. Plowing of all other streets is the four th priority, and will be maintained as time allows.
The city is divided into four snow routes, with certain streets in each route assigned to the various priority levels.
The plan states that all priorities will be maintained if possible, and streets will be dropped in reverse order of their priority. “Ever y attempt will be made to keep Priority 1 streets open at all times,” it reads.
The document lays out the responsibilities of the various city departments before, during and after winter storms, as well as policies and procedures about when and how to plow, sand and salt. Plowing doesn’t start until snow has reached 3 inches, and then only on Priority 1, 2 and 3 streets. At 5 inches of accumulation, crews will start removing snow on Priority 1 and 2 streets, and plowing begins on Priority 4 streets.
Sterling City Manager Don Saling told the council he was sharing the plan with them in case they get calls from their constituents about snow removal.