City snow plows

[Ryan Salo]

http://www.cityofrochester.gov/mobilesi ... 8589936558

This is an interesting idea. 15 total plows that lakewood has would be great for the main roads but can never keep up with the snow on all side streets. Maybe we should contract out the side streets to private companies. Competition will provide better results and possibly lower costs.

[Ryan Salo]

From: Summers, Mike
Sent: Thursday, January 02, 2014 10:55 AM

All,

As of this moment, ( (10:30AM thurs Jan 2nd) we have ten plows and five Salt plow- trucks on the road.

This storm started just before 4AM. We have had plows on the road since that 4AM. We will be plowing around the clock until we get cleared up. This usually takes 48 hours post snow fall.

Some things to remember:

1)      We use salt lightly when we snow is still coming down and we are plowing heavily. Plowing tends to remove recently placed salt that has not been ground up by traffic

2)      Salt is at its maximum effectiveness when it is ground into brine by auto traffic. Just placing salt by itself will not melt much.

3)      We plow and salt side streets sufficiently to make 25MPH speeds safe. We do not scrape side streets clean until all major arteries are clear, usually in 2nd 24 hour period after the snow has fallen. This strategy reflects plowing and salting’s impact on road maintenance and environmental concerns.

4)      Parking enforcement is reflective of conditions. We are currently using light  enforcement strategies.

5)      We have 100 less public works workers compared to the pre 2008 era. Overtime rules and call out strategies are being stressed. We will use these experiences to identify opportunities to improve both performance, labor equity, and public safety.


Michael P. Summers
Mayor, City of Lakewood
mike.summers@lakewoodoh.net<mailto:mike.summers@lakewoodoh.net>
216-529-6600

[marklingm]

From: Summers, Mike
Sent: Thursday, January 02, 2014 10:55 AM

All,

As of this moment, ( (10:30AM thurs Jan 2nd) we have ten plows and five Salt plow- trucks on the road.

This storm started just before 4AM. We have had plows on the road since that 4AM. We will be plowing around the clock until we get cleared up. This usually takes 48 hours post snow fall.

Some things to remember:

1)      We use salt lightly when we snow is still coming down and we are plowing heavily. Plowing tends to remove recently placed salt that has not been ground up by traffic

2)      Salt is at its maximum effectiveness when it is ground into brine by auto traffic. Just placing salt by itself will not melt much.

3)      We plow and salt side streets sufficiently to make 25MPH speeds safe. We do not scrape side streets clean until all major arteries are clear, usually in 2nd 24 hour period after the snow has fallen. This strategy reflects plowing and salting’s impact on road maintenance and environmental concerns.

4)      Parking enforcement is reflective of conditions. We are currently using light  enforcement strategies.

5)      We have 100 less public works workers compared to the pre 2008 era. Overtime rules and call out strategies are being stressed. We will use these experiences to identify opportunities to improve both performance, labor equity, and public safety.


Michael P. Summers
Mayor, City of Lakewood
mike.summers@lakewoodoh.net<mailto:mike.summers@lakewoodoh.net>
216-529-6600

[marklingm]

I work in a township and the roads have been clear all day ... and we have had more snow than in the 'Wood.

I guess that's one benefit of not working in the 'Wood.

This is what the roads have looked like in Bath Township ... all day ... since 6:00 a.m. this morning until now ...





... and I'm pretty sure the township never even had 100 public works workers in the pre or post 2008 era ...

... but then again ...

... the township isn't wasting taxpayer money on reckless recycling programs, drones, posts and tweets, "courtesy rides," and the like ...

[Stan Austin]

The snow clearing is going as well as it possibly can. I was out walking at 4:00 AM and plows were out. A LPD car was cruising Madison slowly in the right lane in order to gauge traction.
During the day I have shoveled at 11:00 in the morning. Most of that has been drifted in. My street (Riverway) has been plowed adequately and is drive able. I am not going to shovel again until tomorrow early morning when the winds have died down.
The snow is light and fluffy so continuous passes by the plows should be adequate.
I want streets that are negotiable, not pristine down to the black pavement.

[Ryan Salo]

I want streets that are negotiable, not pristine down to the black pavement.

That is a reasonable request. Unfortunately Lakewood seems unable to offer that to all of its citizens. I drove all over town a couple hours ago running some errands and just seeing how different streets are cleared. Some, like Belle, are amazing, while most others look like they were never plowed. I agree with the Mayor that spreading salt on the street just to have it plowed again a few minutes later is a waste, HOWEVER, when there are 40-60 minute breaks between plows, like there are in a lot of Lakewood, it would allow the salt to do its job.

Salt seems to be why most major Cleveland and River roads look and drive better/safer. Did we spend our salt budget on business incentives instead?

[Jeff Dreger]

But I could not help but notice, the age old axiom is gone. "You can tell when you get to Lakewood because
the streets are clean and plowed."

No longer even close to true.

This.

We did not move to Lakewood for any one reason, but services were part of it - many of which no longer exist.

Jeff

[marklingm]

You know, Stan, it is a safety concern to keep the streets clear so emergency vehicles can maneuver throughout the ‘Wood.

What’s more important:

Spending money to create a video to admonish residents that they need to move their cars on the streets every 24 hours throughout the year?

Or spending money to actually keep the streets safe and clean throughout the year?

Isn’t it ironic that City Hall is always so very proud that it “saved” money by tossing 100 public works workers on the unemployment lines since 2008 … until those public works workers are needed now … in 2014.

Then we get tweets and posts from City Hall crying, "Boo hoo! We can't do our job because we fired everyone."

Sorry, Jeff, no services for you!

[Corey Rossen]

@Ryan - Belle Avenue is cleared because Markling has a plow on his motorcycle. It was a fine Christmas gift to himself this year.

Corey

[Stephen Eisel]

Hey Ryan....

Maybe you should just plan on staying at home tonight instead of counting trucks. It's winter. Sometimes we get a lot of snow.

Are you from Florida?

[michael gill]

This is not very good snowman snow. Too bad.

[marklingm]

@Ryan - Belle Avenue is cleared because Markling has a plow on his motorcycle. It was a fine Christmas gift to himself this year.

Corey

Corey,

Belle is all clear but I'm freezing now.

That was the best present!

Plus, it's the gift that keeps on giving ... even "courtesy rides."

Matt

[Jim O'Bryan]

Plows were out working at 9 pm.

But here we are again in a nutshell.

From Mayor Summers...
"5) We have 100 less public works workers compared to the pre 2008 era. Overtime rules and call out strategies are being stressed. We will use these experiences to identify opportunities to improve both performance, labor equity, and public safety."

Well as we have repeated many, many times since 2005 when warning about this very thing.

If you paid $1.00 for 16 ounces of chips in a bag, and now you only get 10 ounces, the prie of the chips went up.

City Hall by deleting a deleting services in and effort to money for their pet programs "Downtown" they have effectively
raised taxes on the residents again with each lay off, especially as we now know they were needed, when they closed
parks, a tax raise, and when they demanded we carry trash to the curb a massive tax raise as they destroy the brand
that was Lakeood Ohio forever. A city that was a great place to be a resident and live.

Now it is a great place to get a tax free deal on a lot for big business.

When do we get the dividend?

When does business pay not just its way, but help the residents as promised.

.

[Corey Rossen]

[/attachment][/attachment]

@Ryan - Belle Avenue is cleared because Markling has a plow on his motorcycle. It was a fine Christmas gift to himself this year.

Corey

Corey,

Belle is all clear but I'm freezing now.

That was the best present!

Plus, it's the gift that keeps on giving ... even "courtesy rides."

Matt

You must make the first step towards your Provide-a-Ride side job.[attachment=0]Sidecar.jpg

[Jeff Dreger]

Wife just got home and reported that outside of Lakewood the roads were good - just wet - but that in Lakewood the roads were largely still lousy. We don't get why.