ORDINANCE NO. 1

AN ORDINANCE TO ESTABLISH THE POLICY AND LEVEL OF SERVICE IN RESPECT TO CLEARANCE OF SNOW OR ICE AND MAINTENANCE OF THIS COUNTY'S SECONDARY ROADS DURING THE WINTER MONTHS.

BE IT ORDAINED BY THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF O'BRIEN COUNTY:

SECTION 1 - PURPOSE

The purpose of this ordinance is to establish this County's policy and level of service in respect to clearance of snow or ice and maintenance of its secondary road system during the winter months, pursuant to the provisions of Section 309.67 Code of Iowa. This policy and level of service are to be implemented within the amount of money budgeted for this service, and as contained in this County's secondary road budget as submitted to and approved by the Iowa Department of Transportation and adopted by the Board of Supervisors.

SECTION 2 - LEVEL OF SERVICE

Clearance of snow or ice and maintenance of the secondary road system during the winter months is primarily for the benefit of the local residents to this County. Each storm has individual characteristics and must be dealt with accordingly. The portion of the roadway improved for travel will have upon it snow and ice in a compacted condition. These conditions may be continuous, or they may be more concentrated on hills, in valleys, curves, and/or intersections. The County's existing snow removal equipment will be utilized for this purpose. All clearance of snow or ice, sanding, salting, and other maintenance respecting winter conditions shall be accomplished within the amount of money budgeted for this service. The entire width of that portion of the road improved for travel may not be cleared of snow, ice, compacted snow and ice, and frost. Snow cleared from that part of the roadway improved for travel shall be placed on or in the adjacent shoulder, ditch, or right-of-way. Snow can be expected to accumulate adjacent to the traveled portion to the extent that a motorist's sight distance to both the left and right may be greatly reduced or impaired. The snow removed from intersections will be piled in its corners in piles of unequal height. The line of sight, sight distance, or visibility of motorists approaching these intersections may be greatly reduced or impaired. The County shall not be responsible for snow pushed or otherwise placed on the roadway or shoulders. Motorists shall drive their vehicles during these conditions with additional caution and watchfulness, especially in respect to the surface of the roadway, and reduced or impaired visibility, and are advised to reduce their speed according to road conditions. In respect to roadways that have only one lane open, further extreme watchfulness and caution should be exercised by the motorist, and their speed should be reduced. During these conditions, no additional warning or regulatory signs will be placed warning of impaired sight distances, or that the road surface is slick or slippery, or what the advised speed should be.

In the implementation of snow and ice removal and other maintenance of the County's secondary road system during the winter months, the County Engineer shall select the actual sequence of roads to be cleared as provided for in this Ordinance, and shall determine when drifting, wind velocity, and additional snow or snowstorms require that the snow removal equipment be removed from the roadway, or that additional clearance of paved routes be accomplished prior to the clearance of gravel and dirt roads. The County Engineer's professional judgement shall prevail. There is no time limit after a snowstorm or sequence in which any of the above operations, on paved or unpaved roads, shall take.

PAVED ROUTES

1. The initial effort will be to get all routes open to one-lane traffic as soon as possible.

2. After one-lane travel is possible, subsequent snow removal will be carried on during normal working hours.

3. The truck mounted snow plows and spreaders will not normally be in operation between the hours of 4:30 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. on weekdays. The trucks may be called off the road if snow and blowing reduces visibility to hazardous working conditions, in the professional judgement of the Engineer or his delegated representative.

4. When required due to drifting snow, motor graders may be used to keep the paved roads open and the opening of gravel roads may be delayed.

5. It is not the policy of the County to provide a "dry" pavement condition.

After roads have been plowed as provided in this section, a mixture of sand and salt may be applied at intersections, hills, and curves. These intersections, hills and curves will not be resanded, resalted, or have other abrasives replaced on them between snowstorms. This sequence of service shall normally be performed only between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. each day, exclusive of Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays observed by County employees.

UNPAVED ROADS

1. The initial effort will be to get all higher classified or higher priority routes opened to one-lane traffic as soon as possible after a storm has passed.

2. After one-lane travel is possible, subsequent snow removal will be carried on during normal working hours.

3. Motor graders and/or truck plows will not normally be in operation between the hours of 4:30 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. on weekdays. Gravel roads may not be plowed if the wind is causing continual drifting.

4. Snow may not be removed from roads designated as Area Service "B" or Area Service "C".

SECTION 3 - PRIVATE PROPERTY

PRIVATE DRIVES

The County will not clear snow from private drives. Normal snow removal operations may result in snow being deposited in private drives. Snow from private drives shall not be placed on the road right-of-way.

MAILBOXES

Regulation mailboxes which are properly placed will be replaced by O'Brien County if they are destroyed or badly damaged by snow removal equipment. The County Engineer will determine if the mailbox was placed in accordance with postal regulations and approve the replacement box.

SECTION 4 - LIMITATION ON SERVICE

The policy and level of service provided for in this Ordinance shall not include the following:

1. Sanding, salting, or placing of other abrasives upon the roadway that are slick, slippery, and dangerous due to the formation of frost.

2. Sanding, salting, or placing other abrasives upon paved roadways due to freezing rain that occurs outside the County's usual working hours.

3. Placing of additional warning or regulatory signs warning of impaired sight distances, visibility at intersections, road blockages, one-lane conditions, or that the road surface is slick or slippery, or what the advised speed should be.

SECTION 5 - EMERGENCY

The sequence of service may be suspended during "Emergency" conditions. An "Emergency" condition shall be considered as one where loss of life is probable, where serious injury has occurred, or where extensive loss of property is imminent. When these situations arise, the County Engineer will coordinate an emergency response with other public safety agencies.

The provisions of this Ordinance shall be further suspended in the event the Chairman of the Board of Supervisors, by proclamation, implements the County emergency operations plan, or the Governor, by proclamation, implements the State emergency operations plan. If such occurs, the County personnel and equipment shall be immediately subject to the procedure set by the Chairman of the Board of Supervisors or by the Governor.

SECTION 6 - WHEN EFFECTIVE

This ordinance shall be in effect after its final passage, approval and publication as provided by law.

PASSED by the Board and APPROVED this __12th____ day of ____December__, 2000.

_____Jacob Moermond_____________________

Chairman, Board of Supervisors

ATTEST:

_Barbara Rohwer________________

County Auditor