Johnson County Secondary Roads Snow Policy

Snow Policy

In 1985 the Johnson County Board of Supervisors passed the following Snow Ordinance. These are the instructions which the Secondary Road Department follows during the winter season. All rural residents are encouraged to read the ordinance, taking special note of Section IV, Miscellaneous.

BRIEF SUMMARY (Entire Snow Policy Follows)

SECTION I: PURPOSE
SECTION II: POLICY AND LEVEL OF SERVICE
A. General
B. Removal/Abrasive Placement Capacity
C. Removal Operations
D. Motor Vehicle Operator
E. Municipal Roads

SECTION III: SEQUENCE OF SERVICE
A. Paved and Oiled Routes
B. Stone Surfaced and Dirt Routes

SECTION IV: MISCELLANEOUS
A. Rural Mailboxes
B. Fences
C. Obstructions
D. Agricultural Necessities
E. Private Roads
F. Equipment

SECTION V: LIMITATION OF SERVICE
SECTION VI: EMERGENCIES
A. Response
B. Definition/Determination
C. Disaster

SECTION VII: REPEALER
SECTION VIII: SAVINGS CLAUSE
SECTION IX: EFFECTIVE DATE

An Ordinance to establish the policy and level of service in respect to removal of snow or ice and regarding abrasive material on secondary roads.

		SECTION I: PURPOSE
		The purpose of this ordinance is to formalize and establish Johnson County’s policy and level of service in respect to removal of snow or ice and regarding placing sand, salt or other abrasive material on its secondary road system pursuant to the provisions of Sections 309.67 and 668.10 of the Code of Iowa.
		SECTION II: POLICY AND LEVEL OF SERVICE
		II.A. GENERAL Removal of snow or ice and placing of sand, salt or other abrasive material on the secondary road system is primarily for the benefit of the local residents of this County. Each storm has individual charateristics and must be dealt with accordingly. The portion of a 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, intersections and/or other locations of particular topographical or traffic features. II.B. REMOVAL/ABRASIVE PLACEMENT CAPACITY The County’s existing snow removal equipment will be utilized to implement this policy and level of salting, or placing other abrasive material respecting winter conditions which occasion such efforts shall be accomplished within the amount of money budgeted for this service as contained in the County’s secondary road budget adopted by the Board of Supervisors and submitted to and approved by the Iowa Department of Transportation. II. C. REMOVAL OPERATIONS The entire width of that portion of the road improved for travel may not be cleared of snow, ice, compacted snow and ice, or 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 except that during removal operations, snow may be temporarily stored on a portion of the traveled 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 their corners and may result in piles of unequal height. The line of sight, sight distances, 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 shouldrs by others. II.D. MOTOR VEHICLE OPERATOR Motorists shall operate their vehicles during these conditions with additional caution and watchfulness, especially in respect to the surface of the roadway, and reduced or impaired visibility. Motorists are advised to reduce their speed at least 25 miles per hour below that legally permitted or advised under normal conditions. In respect to roadways that have only one lane open to traffic, further extreme watchfulness and caution should be exercised by the motorist, and their speed should not exceed 10 miles per hour. During these conditions no additional warning or regulatory signs will be placed 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. II.E. MUNICIPAL ROAD Snow removal or abrasive placement will be performed within the corporate limits of a municipality only in accordance with agreements under Chapter 28E of the Code of Iowa.
		SECTION III: SEQUENCE OF SERVICE
		In the implementation of snow and ice removal and abrasive placement on the county’s secondary road system under this ordinance, the County Engineer or his/her delegated representative shall select the actual sequence of roads for service as provided for in this Section of this Ordinance, and shall determine when drifting, wind velocity, and additional snow or snowstorm require that the snow removal equipment be removed from the roadway, for reasons of hazardous visibility or due to lack of progress in removal or that additional clearance of paved routes be accomplished prior to the clearance of other roads. Generally, priorities will be all paved and oiled roads. Stone surfaced roads with residences will be the next priority with the main Farm to Market routes having preference in this category while dead end roads will be last in this category. Stone surfaced roads will first be plowed to enable everyone access from one direction. These roads then will be opened to two-way traffic. Next, the connecting type stone-surfaced roads will be plowed to provide for more direct travel between various points. Finally, dirt roads and stone surfaced roads with no residences along them will be the last priority and may not be plowed if there is no need. Stone-surfaced or dirt roads may be plowed out of sequence where it would contribute to efficiency or snow removal unit routing or progress. Snow removal units will operate only during daylight hours or slightly before daylight, Monday through Friday. On Saturdays, Sundays, or holidays, the normal level of service will be implemented if conditions warrant. Only in cases of emergency as set out in this Ordinance will snow removal units operate from 6:00 PM to 6:00 AM. In the event of a severe storm with severe drifting, all roads will be opened to one-way traffic until all rural residences have a way out. Then plowing will continue to develop two-way traffic. There is no time limit after a storm subsides within which any portion of the policy set by this Ordinance shall be implemented. III.A. PAVED AND OILED ROUTES The initial effort will be to get all routes open to one-lane traffice as soon as possible during daylight hours after a storm has subsided. After one-lane travel is possible, subsequent snow removal will be carried on only during normal working hours. It is not the policy of the county to provide "dry" pavement condition. After roads have been plowed as provided in this section, intersections, hills and curves may have sand, salt or other abrasives placed on them. This spreading will normally stop when air temperature is 20 F. or lower. These intersections, hills and curves may not be re-sanded, re-salted, or have abrasives applied to them between snowstorms. Snow removal units will normally begin operation after an accumulation of two(2) inches of snow. III.B. STONE SURFACED AND DIRT ROUTES The initial effort will be to get a one-lane access open to residences as soon as possible during daylight hours after a storm has subsided. After one-lane travel is possible, subsequent snow removal will be carried on only during normal working hours. Snow removal units may not operate at all on dirt roads without residences. Snow removal units will normally begin operation after an accumulation of four (4) inches of new snow.
		SECTION IV: MISCELLANEOUS
		IV.A. RURAL MAILBOXES The County shall not pay for damaged mailboxes unless actual contact is made by a snow removal unit. Residents should mark mailboxes in drift prone areas to help road workers avoid them. Claims for damaged mailboxes are to be submitted to the Secondary Roads Department within 48 hours to be considered for payment. IV.B. FENCES The County shall not pay for damaged fences unless actual contact is made by the snow removal unit. Claims for damaged fences are to be submitted to the Secondary Roads Department within 30 days to be considered for payment. IV.C. OBSTRUCTIONS Obstructions on the road right of way such as hay bales, vehicles, or fences which might cause drifting shall be removed by the owners. The county shall not be liable for damage to stalled or stranded vehicles on the traveled portion of the roadway or other obstructions which will interfere with snow and ice removal and abrasive placement. The owners of stalled or stranded vehicles should immediately notify the Sheriff’s Department. Owners shall remove stalled or stranded vehicles as soon as possible. IV.D. AGRICULTURAL NECESSITIES Feed, livestock and other agricultural necessities should be removed from areas accessible only by dirt roads. IV.E. PRIVATE ROADS The County will not operate snow removal units on private roads. Normal county removal operations may result in snow or ice being deposited in private roads and drives adjacent to public roads. Snow from private drives shall not be placed on the shoulders of a public road. IV.F. EQUIPMENT Motor vehicle travel on the Johnson County secondary road system when conditions of snow or ice exist shall, when such conditions warrant, be undertaken only by vehicles which have been equipped with snow tires, tire chains or nonslip differential.
		SECTION V: LIMITATION OF SERVICE
		The following services shall not be performed: A. Sanding, salting, or placing of other abrasives upon a roadway which is slick, slippery or dangerous due to the formation of frost outside normal working hours. B. Sanding, salting, or placing other abrasives upon paved and oiled routes due to ice formation which occurs outside the county’s normal working hours, Monday through Friday. On Saturdays, Sundays or holidays, the normal level of service will be implemented if ice formation warrants. C. Sanding, salting or placing of other abrasives upon stone surfaced roads. D. 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 VI: EMERGENCIES
		VI.A. RESPONSE The sequence of service may be suspended during an "Emergency" condition. The County will attempt to respond to an Emergency condition where a blocked or impassable road is involved. VI.B. DEFINITION/DETERMINATION An "Emergency" condition shall be considered as one where a loss of life is probable, where a serious injury has occurred or is probable, or where extensive loss of property is imminent. Reports of such emergencies should be made directly to the Johnson County Sheriff’s Department. The existence of any such condition shall be determined by the Johnson County Sheriff’s Department. Upon the determination of the existence of an emergency condition, the Sheriff’s Department shall implement appropriate emergency procedures including snow removal unit operation if warranted by the nature of the emergency condition. VI.C. DISASTER The provisions of this Ordinance shall be further suspended in the event the Governor, by proclamation, implements the State disaster plan, or the Chairperson of the Board of Supervisors, by proclamation, implements the County disaster plan. If such occurs, County snow removal units and operating personnel and equipment shall be immediately subject to the direction of the Governor or the Chairperson of the Board of Supervisors in accordance with disaster plan proclamation.
		SECTION VII: REPEALER
		All other ordinance or parts of ordinances in conflict with the provisions of this ordinance are hereby repealed.
		SECTION VIII: SAVINGS CLAUSE
		If any section, provision, or part of this ordinance shall be adjudged invalid, illegal or unconstitutional, such adjudication shall not affect the validity of the ordinance as a whole or any section, provision or part thereof not adjudged invalid, illegal or unconstitutional.
		SECTION IX: EFFECTIVE DATE
		This ordinance shall become effective after its passage and publication as part of the proceedings or the Board of Supervisors.

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