Marlene Feist

Getting ready for Snow!

Marlene Feist, Public Works Director of Strategic Development, 509.625.6505

Monday, October 22, 2018 at 3:16 p.m.

Mayor David Condon, Council Member Breean Beggs, and other City officials provided an advance briefing of the City’s Response Plan.

More plowing in more areas sooner is the centerpiece of the revamped plan. When it snows, even if it’s just an inch or two, crews will plow all of the streets, including residential streets. We’ll do that “maintenance plow” work on the day shift, Monday through Friday, when crews from our water and wastewater utilities are more available. When it snows more than that, we will still move to 24/7 operations, and we’ll complete a full-City plow in about 3 days.

For the 2018-19 snow season, the biggest change for citizens will be the addition of more snow gates to reduce driveway berms. The City has more than doubled the number of gates in its fleet to 16, up from seven a year ago. While the new gates won’t eliminate driveway berms, especially on arterials that are plowed frequently, they will greatly reduce them.

While snow is still a few weeks away, now is a great time to make your own winter plan:

  • Move your recreational vehicle, boat or trailer off the street and to a winter storage location for the snow season by Nov. 15.
  • Make sure you have adequate snow shovels or a working snow blower. Consider buying some salt or sand. Property owners are asked to clear sidewalks by 9 a.m. after a snowstorm, if possible.
  • Consider signing up with a company that provides snow removal services before the snow flies if you don’t want to shovel yourself.
  • For seniors or disabled individuals who may need help shoveling, call 3-1-1 now to get connected to volunteer services.
  • Figure out where you can park throughout the snow season, from Nov. 15 to March 15. We ask everyone to park on the odd side of the street to allow plows to get through.
  • Figure out what residential snow plow route you live in to make it easier to track the progress of plows. Here is a link to the residential plow route map.
  • Make sure you know who in your neighborhood might need help with shoveling or other winter work and offer to help.

These are just some highlights. See the news release on the plan. Check out all the Snow Response Plan details on the Street Department’s snow page.

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