MAYOR'S MESSAGE

Craig A. Stough 12/8/2005

"Late Leaves and Early Snow"

A few weeks ago, I wrote you about the City's annual leaf collection. In a typical year, leaf collection would be finishing up in mid-December. This year many leaves fell late and cold winter weather started early with snowfalls and low temperatures. Many of the leaves became frozen to the ground, and backhoes need to be used to load them onto trucks.

Even as the leaf collection continues, let me share some facts with you about keeping our streets clear of ice and snow through the winter months. The City of Sylvania has six trucks available to plow snow and salt streets. They are the same trucks that haul away the leaves in the fall, and are used for street repairs in the spring and summer.

The City of Sylvania bids and buys its salt each year in cooperation with Sylvania Township, and this year the Sylvania Schools, to receive better pricing for the larger combined purchase. Last year, the City used 1,690 tons of salt and 1,424 manhours to keep the roads clear. This year salt is $33.09/ton delivered by North American Salt Company directly into the city's salt storage dome at the municipal garage on Harroun Road.

During the winter months, Sylvania police crews keep an eye on road conditions 24 hours a day, and alert the street division when ice or snow starts building up. The city has categorized streets into four levels of importance: main arteries (Monroe, Main, Alexis, Harroun), secondary streets (Brint, McCord, Summit, Erie, etc), feeder streets (main neighborhood streets) and residential streets. Mains and secondaries get attention first, with the trucks then moving to feeder and residential streets. All streets are included in predetermined routes that each driver follows in progression.

When conditions warrant, main and secondary streets are completely salted. On feeder and residential streets, crews salt intersections, hills and curves. When it snows three or more inches, the plows are attached and the trucks kept on the road until the streets are clear. During very heavy snows, the city will rent an articulate loader to remove snow from cul-de-sacs.

Like most communities in our region, snow and ice removal is a high priority here in Sylvania. But unlike most city services, it is a sporadic, hard to predict job dependent on the weather. Overtime is almost always needed to get the job done right, when it needs to be done. Snow and ice removal for our 78 miles of city streets can be an expensive City service in a severe winter, but it is a vital service for our residents. When the next storm comes along, be assured our crews are on the road and will get to your street soon.