A review of Windsor’s snow clearing operations is being done in the wake of a record amount of snowfall.
Executive Director of Operations Dwayne Dawson tells CTV Windsor they are preparing a report for council and it will include potential changes to the level of service.
It wasn’t until later Monday afternoon that every residential street in the city received one entire pass from a snow plow after 25 to 30 cm of snow fell across the region between Friday and Sunday.
Twenty-three city and contractor snow plow trucks and 45 pieces of heavy equipment machinery were used to help clear the snow from Windsor streets.
Dawson tells CTV News they do not have an exact cost from the weekend cleanup, but he expects the final bill will cost about $2 million. That is half of Windsor’s $4 million winter control budget.
Dawson says the snow removal on Tuesday focused on “minor cleanup of some dead end streets.”
He adds all city roads have been plowed, and all city sidewalks have been cleared by Public Works staff.
“I thought the City and contracted forces did a great job removing a large snowfall from all the City streets in a timely manner, recognizing that not everyone will be happy and not everyone can have their road done first,” says Dawson.
But many residents complained about the lack of snow clearing on residential streets on the weekends, saying it took too long for plows to clear their roads.
Dawson tells CTV News they will give council a list of options to improve snow clearing operations.
“We are preparing a report to council regarding the level of service for the City's winter control which will give options for Council to consider for potential changes,” says Dawson.
Windsor’s current policy states the city will clear residential streets after four inches of snowfall. Dawson says the report will explore and give options to increase the level of service.
There are now warmer temperatures and rain in the forecast for Wednesday and Thursday, and city officials are warning residents about the risk of surface flooding.
Residents are being asked to join City officials in checking catch basins and making sure they are clear.
Blocked catch basins can lead to localized surface flooding.
The city says there are other steps residents can take around their homes to reduce the risk of surface flooding causing any foundation penetration, including;
· Make sure eves troughs are unplugged and flowing properly
· Make sure downspouts are free of ice and flowing away from foundation
· Remove large amounts of snow from the foundation so water can flow away
· Clear property catch basins from ice and snow
