City Street Department crews are treating roads and bridges affected by winter weather that began moving in earlier today. Some reports are calling for several inches of snow through late Friday, with ongoing cold temperatures forecast as well.
Public Works Director Keith Henry, who oversees Street and Sanitation operations, said four trucks went out Thursday afternoon to begin treating roads and bridges and that those trucks are equipped with plows should the area receive the one-to-three inches of snow currently predicted. Public Works crews will work around the clock as needed, he said.
“We typically stock 1,500 to 2,000 tons of material to treat our roads on an annual basis, so we have plenty of material on-hand to treat roads and bridges in accordance with the City’s Snow Policy,” Henry said. “We currently have seven trucks capable of snow plowing and sanding, and we prep those well in advance — typically in November — for the upcoming season to ensure they are serviced and all equipment is in working order.”
One Public Works staff member is on call 24 hours per day, seven days per week, and that person assesses the situation and determines how much additional assistance will be needed based on the severity of the event and call out other staff accordingly.
“During major events, our guys work 12-hour shifts for as long as needed,” Henry said. “We really just have to wait and see how much snow we get and the condition of the roads before we can make that call.”
Henry said Sanitation collection will continue as normally scheduled.
“I don’t anticipate any interruption in sanitation collection due to this event,” he said.
Water and sewer lines can also be an issue during extremely cold weather. Water Utilities Director Terry Lauritsen said crews are on stand-by this week and will respond as needed.
“Water and sewer line breakage can be a problem during a severe winter event,” Lauritsen said. “We keep our equipment ready to go at a moment’s notice and staff is always on-call, so we will be ready to respond to these issues as needed.”
More information
Snow and ice removal
In accordance with the City’s Snow and Ice Removal Policy:
- Snow is plowed only on major streets.
- Snow will not be plowed on residential streets.
- It will be the responsibility of the property owner to clear their driveways and sidewalks.
- Snow removed from driveways, sidewalks, or parking areas shall not be placed in the street.
- An attempt will be made to follow set priorities; however, due to blowing or drifting snow, some streets must be plowed repeatedly to control drifting snow.
- In removing snow from the streets, it cannot be expected that all the snow will be removed down to bare pavement. What snow or ice remains will be salted or a salt/sand mixture applied to improve traction.
To view the policy in its entirety, see Snow and Ice Removal Policy.
Emergency numbers
For life threatening police or fire emergencies, dial 911.
Non-life threatening Police 918.338.4001
Non-life threatening Fire 918.338.4091
After hours Water and Sewer Hotline 918.338.4055