MOOSE JAW — To better reflect operational practices and service level expectations, city hall is changing its winter maintenance policy, including adjusting the time frames for clearing priority roads and removing snow from them.
The updated policy is in response to city council’s demand in December 2024 for changes to the document, after back-to-back blizzards struck in November 2024.
A report presented during the Aug. 11 executive committee meeting said the roadways team experienced a busy 2024-25 winter season, as there were six “snow events” that each dropped more than five centimetres of snow and three incidents of freezing rain.
The report also said that city administration updated the winter maintenance policy based on feedback and input from council, the public through a survey and a review of the transportation master plan.
Service level activities focus on regular maintenance — ice control and rut blading — and responding to snow events, the document said.
City crews will apply either sand or salt to locations such as intersections, school zones and bridges, while they will also apply such material to intersections and priority routes after crews have hauled away snow.
With rut blading, crews will initiate this activity when rut depths exceed 10 centimetres, primarily in residential areas. However, they will not remove the snow down to the asphalt.
Meanwhile, when it’s snowing, crews will clear the city’s busiest roads and any areas facing drifts to keep streets passable, the report said.
With priority 1 service, which focuses on the first 24 hours after a blizzard, crews will clear the city’s busiest streets and roads.
With priority 2 service, which focuses on 24 to 60 hours — an increase from 48 hours — after a snow event, crews will plow downtown and bus routes and remove snow from those areas.
The report noted that administration moved Main Street and High Street into priority 2 to give downtown businesses the chance to clear their sidewalks onto the streets. City crews will then remove snow when coming through.
With priority 3 service, which focuses on the next 60 to 96 hours — an increase from 72 hours — after a blizzard, crews will clear the remaining important thoroughfares and school bus loading zones, while they will remove snow from loading areas and the Fourth Avenue Bridge.
With priority 4 service, which focuses on 96 hours or more — a timeframe that remains unchanged — after a snow event, crews will remove snow from any remaining designated areas.
“Target completion times for priority snow clearing routes are measured from the conclusion of a snow event, which may be indicated by the stop of snow accumulation or the end (of) significant winds or other adverse conditions,” the report said.
The cost to address one “snow event” under the proposed service levels is roughly $275,000 to $495,000, while cleaning up four blizzards is expected to cost roughly $1,075,000 to $1,970,000, administration said. The budget for snow operations this year is $1,596,258.67.
Also, rut blading is expected to cost roughly $70,000 to $130,000.
Meanwhile, the city’s response to the spring melt will focus on drainage and flood mitigation, the report said.
With drainage, crews will clear catch basins and storm drains manually or with equipment, while they will use steam boilers to thaw basins or drains.
With flood mitigation, the city will monitor flood-prone areas and use sandbags or clear dams as required.
MooseJawToday.com will take an in-depth look at the proposed changes in upcoming articles.
The next executive committee meeting is Monday, Aug. 25.
