When to complain about snow removal: Guide to clearing snow in Staunton and Waynesboro
STAUNTON — Has it been a couple days after a snowstorm and some sidewalks aren't cleared? Who do you call for that?
With a snowstorm headed to the area again this weekend bringing a range of 1 to 3 inches, here's what you need to know about removing snow or how to get issues cleared up.
According to Jeff Johnston, director of Staunton Public Works, it's all about when to start the complaints — and Staunton is more than willing to listen.
Complain after it stops snowing.
"It takes the public works team many hours to get to every street in the city," Johnston said. "Every storm is different, so there’s no way to predict when, or how often, an individual street will be plowed. People can check on the status of their area on the Public Works Snow Removal webpage. And we do ask folks to please be patient. We may not have gotten to your street yet or may be back to work on it some more."
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During the last snowstorm that hit Jan. 17, the City of Staunton had 30 vehicles, including four garbage trucks, out spreading 270 tons of salt for 25 hours straight, prior to the storm's arrival. Between the operators, mechanics and support staff, there were about 38 people involved, Johnston said.
"The team included streets division personnel, water and sewer crews, meter readers, traffic and signal technicians, facilities tradespeople, refuse drivers, and employees from the parks and recreation department and the city engineer’s office," he said. "It was a true team effort."
Johnston said they want to hear about anything that doesn't seem right. Citizens can call public works at 540-332-3892.
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"Our plow crews work extremely hard, but they aren’t perfect, and there is always a crew available after each storm to check on areas of concern and deal with any issues," Johnston said.
The main complaint they receive is where snow ends up.
"There is just as much snow in a neighborhood after it is plowed as there was before it was plowed (it just gets redistributed), so the difficulty of placing the snow is directly related to how much snow there is," he said.
The past storm the city received complaints that there was too much snow piled in front of people's driveways, alongside cars and onto sidewalks. Other complaints ranged from the city hasn't plowed enough, leaving fix or six feet between the end of the driveway and the travel lane.
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"It’s the same amount of snow to be moved whether it’s piled up or laying in the street, and each of our operators is trying to strike the right balance: opening the travel lanes, but not creating huge piles of snow that are more difficult for residents to clear, take longer to melt, and can create visibility issues," Johnston said. "This is particularly tricky in cul-de-sacs and on corners."
The snow has to go somewhere, but if that snow ends up somewhere people think it shouldn't — call the city, Johnston said.
"We check on each reported issue, and if it isn’t right — we’re certainly not perfect— we’ll get it sorted out," he said.
When you should be clearing off sidewalks, etc.
Under Staunton City Code, all property owners/residents — both residential and commercial — to clear the sidewalks adjacent to their properties. It is illegal to put snow into the street, before or after the street has been plowed.
According to the Staunton City Code, residents and owners need to remove snow from sidewalks within 24 hours of snowfall — either six hours after the precipitation stops or by noon the following day if the precipitation falls during the night. Residents and owners are also to use salt or another abrasive on sidewalk ice within 12 hours after ice forms.
Waynesboro has the same regulations.
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Waynesboro snow rules
Citizens in Waynesboro may also contact the city if there is a problem or concern involving snow removal. Waynesboro residents can email publicworks@ci.waynesboro.va.us, send a message on the Waynesboro Public Works Facebook page or call at 540-942-6743.
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According to the Waynesboro Public Works website, here are some guidelines for snow removal:
If at all possible prior to the snow event, utilize off-street parking when available. It is much easier for crews to clear the street when it is free of cars, trailers and other obstacles.
Refrain from clearing your driveway until snow removal has been completed or, if you must clear driveway prior to completion, understand that crews may inadvertently re-cover the clearing. You can check to see if your area has been completed by viewing the snow map on Waynesboro Public Works website.
Alleys do not get plowed unless they meet both of these requirements:
They are hard surfaced.
They provide sole (parking not allowed on street) access to an inhabited dwelling.
More information is available at waynesboro.va.us/677/Snow-Removal.
During the last snowstorm, Waynesboro spent $101,034 in snow removal, excluding the cost of fuel, and 2,400 hours of labor.
Laura Peters is the trending topics reporter at The News Leader. Have a news tip on local trends or businesses? Or a good feature? You can reach reporter Laura Peters (she/her) at lpeters@newsleader.com. Follow her @peterslaura. Subscribe to The News Leader at newsleader.com.
This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Snow removal complaints: Guide to clearing snow in Staunton, Waynesboro
