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Last updated on Friday, January 8, 2010
(BEDFORD, IN) - Bedford Mayor Shawna Girgis has issued a press release concerning the city’s new snow removal procedures and the new system that makes it possible.
The following is a press release issued from Bedford Mayor Shawna Girgis.
New Equipment
With the weather today and the forecast of more possible in the next few days there has been a lot of talk about snow removal.
The City of Bedford has been taking a new look at an old issue in order to insure that the streets of our city are safe and as travel friendly as possible during winter weather.
Staff from the State Highway, as well as a local resident suggested we consider utilizing a brine to help keep snow and ice off our streets.
The Street Department purchased the components needed to assemble a brine mixer and sprayer this fall and have been utilizing brine since the first snowfall of the season.
Dan Kirk, Street Commissioner, and members of his staff made visits to other locations that were using brine.
After learning how effective using brine can be we decided to try this approach and have been very happy with the results.
Brine is a mixture of salt (23%) and water.
The mixture is then put on the streets 24 to 48 hours prior to a snowfall or ice storm.
Brine is most effective when the streets are dry or slightly damp and the temperature is above 20 degrees.
In lower temperatures calcium chloride can be added to the mixture to improve its effectiveness.
By using brine we can get ahead of the snow and ice and therefore improve the effectiveness of removal efforts.
As an added benefit utilizing brine also reduces the amount of sand needed for the treatment of winter roads.
Reduced sand use improves the appearance of our streets, reduces the number of man hours needed for clean-up, and reduces the amount of sand that must be disposed of in the spring, which all add up to a cost savings to the city.
New Snow Policy
The city has also adopted a new snow policy for city workers.
This policy categorizes snow predictions and accumulations in three degrees.
Snow fall of (1) 0-6 inches, (2) 6-12 inches, and (3) over 12 inches.
The policy enables the city to maximize the regular work hours of employees by using shifts during winter weather.
We are also cross-training staff from multiple departments on snow removal procedures so that during times of extreme weather workers are protected from fatigue, safety is enhanced, hours worked on city streets can be extended while minimizing the use of overtime, and road conditions are improved, all while reducing expenses.
Implementing this plan is allowing the city to maximize the effectiveness of snow and ice removal while being as efficient with our resources as possible.
Despite the inconvenience I do hope that you have at least been able to enjoy watching the snow fall.
I used to but that has all changed since becoming mayor.
Now I think about how to get rid of the white stuff and the price tag.
So, we have added components to our snow removal plan and with the hard work of the staff in the Street Department, and when needed the help of other departments, we are getting the snow off our roads.
Questions regarding snow removal can be forwarded to my office at (812) 279-6555 or by contacting Dan Kirk at (812) 275-1631.
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