Snow has arrived in Stevensville; Here's the Plan

The Town’s Street Division crews have been preparing for the inevitable return of winter and have already dealt with a couple of shots of snow. But now is a good time to provide an overview of the Town’s snow response plan.

“While snow response efforts are always challenging, we hope this information can help our citizens prepare for more winter weather,” says Mayor Brandon Dewey. “The heart of snow response plan is really pretty simple: More plowing in more areas sooner.”

Here’s a look at the key components of the Town’s snow response plan:

Plowing

When it snows, even if it’s just an inch or two, crews will plow all the streets, including residential streets. To hold down costs, crews will complete this “maintenance plow” work primarily during regular day shifts Monday through Friday.

Utility crews will supplement Street crews for plowing efforts sooner, and more equipment will be available on a regular basis for plowing.
During a larger snowfall, crews still will move to 24/7 operations to complete a full-City plow, with a goal of completing that work in two days.

Driveway Berms & Sidewalk Snow

The Street Department has outfitted 16 pieces of equipment with “gates” that allow plow drivers to avoid placing snow across a driveway or alley access.  
The gates will greatly reduce driveway berms in residential areas, but berms are still possible, especially on arterials that are plowed frequently.
Changed plowing techniques also will help alleviate berms and snow pushed onto sidewalks. Crews will plow away from the curb to help keep snow away from driveway and sidewalks. Snow also may be pushed to center medians in some cases.

Parking

Downtown on snowy days, on-street parking will be prohibited between midnight at 6 a.m. so parking bays can be plowed out. 
Citizens must move recreational vehicles, boats, and trailers off the street to winter storage locations. These vehicles are subject to towing.

Collaboration on Sidewalks

Property owners remain responsible for clearing the sidewalk adjacent to their properties. The Town is asking citizens to clear a 36-inch path to allow school children, disabled individuals, bus riders, and other pedestrians to move safety through the community. The goal is to complete that work by 9 a.m. after a snowfall.
Not everyone is capable of shoveling. Neighbors are asked to help one another with snow clearing. Seniors or disabled individuals also can call Town Hall to help get connected with volunteer services that may be able to help. A call to arrange assistance can be made now.

Communication

The Town will share information before and during the snow season, providing information to the local media and through a variety of communication tools from social media to the Town's web site.
 

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