Bus routes – These will take priority over the rest of roads while the buses are running. During off hours these will be treated as secondary roads. (see attached maps).
Main Roads – These are the roads stripped with a double yellow line from the front gate to the back gate (see attached map). During dangerous conditions the main road will be closed off between Vine lane and Loop lane. The traffic will be routed around Loop lane.
Secondary Roads – Will be plowed with one lane in each direction only if the main roads are made as passable as conditions allow for. (See attached map)
Tertiary roads and cul-de-sacs – These are the remaining roads that are not mentioned above. These will be cleared only if the main and secondary roads made passable as condition allow for. If conditions are such that primary roads and secondary roads need plowing before moving onto other roads, then they will be given priority. Hills on these tertiary roads will take priority. If conditions get too dangerous some roads might not get plowed or sanded due to safety concerns. (See attached map)
Private Driveways – The community will not clear snow from private drives or driveways. Normal snow removal operations may result in snow being deposited in private drives however every effort will be made to limit that need. Snow from private drives or driveways shall not be placed on the roadway. Piles of snow left on or near the road from private drives can freeze into a solid mass creating a hazardous situation for vehicles and snowplows. Accidents and damages caused by snow piles placed in the roadway may result in liability to the property owner.
Dangerous roads – Due to safety concerns and depending on conditions these roads may not get done until such a time where conditions improve. These people may want to make arrangements to park somewhere accessible. (see attached map)
Roads not maintained – These roads do not serve any house and should be treated like they will not be maintained (see attached map)
HOURS OF OPERATION – In a snow event, the necessary Maintenance staff and Volunteers will be mobilized by the Maintenance Manager. Weekends and holidays may receive a reduced level of service due to lower traffic volumes and the limited resources available.
Operator duty shifts are generally limited to a maximum of 12 hours per day for safety reasons with 8 hours of not being on duty. Due to staffing restrictions and severity of storms some routes may have reduced coverage.
Operations will be halted when: (a) service levels are reached, (b) coverage time has elapsed, (c) conditions are too hazardous, or (d) reasonable accomplishments cannot be made.
Staff that are monitoring the conditions will be paid minimum of two hours. Due to the hazardous conditions getting to Clearwood staff who live outside of Clearwood and are called in or back to work, will be paid from the time they leave their house until they arrive back at their home using a direct route to and from the location.
Policy:
School bus routes will take priority while the buses are running. It is the responsibility of parents to keep apprised of school bus schedules and school closures.
Plowing will occur when then snow is greater than two inches on School bus routes, main and secondary roads. After these have made as passable as conditions allow the tertiary roads will take next priority. If time allows plowing on non- hill tertiary roads will begin once the snow is greater than four inches.
Sanding will occur as needed depending on conditions and steepness of the hill following plowings as outlined above.
Updates will be made available as time allows. These updates may be posted online on social media or on Clearwood’s website. The plan is generalized and may change between postings due to changing conditions. Residents are asked to refrain from calling the office staff asking for time commitments as they will not be able to give them to you.
Residents should be prepared to make other arrangements if they live on a road that may become too dangerous to plow and sand. Parking is allowed on the road side but must be far enough off to not hinder the snow removal process. If cars are parked on the road side making it hazardous to plow or drive the road will be skipped until there is another pass scheduled for that roadway.
Residents should be prepared to drive in snow if it is mandatory that they be in or at specific locations at specific times despite the weather conditions. If you have the option to remain home or have a delayed arrival it is recommended that you take that option. Park your car when anticipating weather conditions that will be restricting to getting your car out of your driveway or street location; have chains that fit your vehicle on hand if needed.
The Emergency Gate will be open during school hours to facilitate the buses safely getting into and out of Clearwood. The Yelm bus barn will be issued a key to allow them to unlock it in the morning. Clearwood will have to close and lock the gate once the last bus has left in the evening. This will be the responsibility of the Maintenance Crew.
SUMMARY OF THE POLICY:
This Policy was developed to provide general guidelines for both staff and the public. This policy intends to cover most situations normally encountered in winter storm events. If certain situations arise that are not part of the above Policy, the Maintenance Manager will deal with them on a case-by-case basis. Each decision to mobilize the snow plow crews is a judgment call based on the weather conditions combined with experience along with the resources available at the time and therefore may not adhere strictly to this general policy