The City of Wayland has been asked to provide a little more information about its plowing/snow removal procedures on city roadways.
A spokesperson for the city said, “It should be noted that as this is Michigan, every snowfall event can be different. Things such as timing, wind conditions, temperatures, etc. may affect the timing of when we conduct plowing/snow removal operations.
“However, the purpose of this document is to lay out some basic guidelines. For example, purposes it will be assumed that snowfall begins in the afternoon and continues throughout the night. Obviously, these times may be shifted when heavy snowfall is experienced at alternative times.”
Depending on the pace of snowfall the city may bring in one or two employees in late evening/overnight to keep main streets passable (the difference between passable and clear should be noted.). The first goal with this is to make sure Main/Superior are passable as well as ensure access to critical buildings such as the Fire Department and Wayland EMS.
Once this is completed then collector streets such as Reno Drive, 133rd Avenue, Elm, and railroad crossings will be addressed. Because of the potential for EMS calls to the two retirement homes, these streets are addressed early on as well.
Primary clearing operations will usually begin between 3 and 5 a.m., depending on snow depth and continued pace of snowfall. If snow is predicted to last for a longer duration, the city will stagger some employee shifts to allow for more coverage on non-overtime hours.
The city will begin downtown sidewalk cleaning and parking lot plowing commencing at the beginning of the shift to avoid traffic and pedestrian congestion.
Once the roads are essentially clear, the city will continue cleanup on dead-end streets, cul-de-sacs, city parking lots, and access roads to critical city infrastructure (water/sewer facilities).
In the days following a snowfall and subsequent plowing the DPW will perform some additional cleanup/hauling snow away. This can be adjusted, depending on upcoming temperatures/snow forecasts. Additional street cleanup will take place in areas where the plow was unable to get to during initial plowing operations. It is important to keep cars off the street as much as possible to help ensure the most efficient plowing operations possible.
Some other factors that may impact decision making could be the type of anticipated snowfall (light, wet/heavy, ice etc.), if there is an upcoming significant temperature change, cancellation of school, community events or holidays.
