Ice removal, snow removal, and salting the streets help keep our community safe.
Maintaining the safety of the streets is a primary goal of the City of Mason. For the past few years as budgeting concerns have increased and seasonal and part-time help have been curtailed, city departments have come together to manage the challenges of snow and freezing rain. While the Public Works Department remains the primary provider of service on winter streets, personnel in the Engineering & Building, Parks & Recreation, and Public Utilities Departments have pitched in to help make the roads safe.
Accurate weather forecasts, pretreatment of the roads, the amount of snow, how fast it falls, outside temperature, equipment breakdowns, salt availability, whether the salt freezes and clumps in the truck beds, parked cars, and the volume of traffic all affect the city’s ability to clear the roads. We appreciate your patience this winter as we continue our collaboration among departments to clear the roads in the city as quickly as possible.
preparing for snow
In winter, city staff closely monitors the weather. If snow is in the forecast, preparations begin for the possibility of ice and snow.
Leaf and brush collection are halted as the collection boxes are removed from the beds of the large trucks and replaced with salt boxes. Plow blades are mounted and tested. The mechanics help with getting everything in working order, from the auger in the salt box that pushes the salt toward the spreader to the hydraulics on the plow to the maintenance of the truck. Fuel, salt, and calcium supplies are checked and replenished as necessary.
Salt is preloaded in as many trucks as can fit inside the garage (usually four). Streets may be pretreated with a saline solution. If snow is expected overnight, crew members go home with pagers.
Since they are always out on the road, police officers are usually the ones to notify the shift supervisor if road conditions start to deteriorate. The shift supervisor makes a determination as to how many drivers are needed and pages them if it is after hours.
As drivers arrive, the diesel trucks are started, warmed up, then taken to the salt barn to be loaded with salt. Each driver knows which area of the city he or she is assigned to. Major roads are cleared first and sometimes repeatedly, depending on snow and wind. Then minor arterials are cleared. Side streets and cul-de-sacs are cleared last. The mechanics also report in, either to make repairs when drivers encounter equipment problems or to drive a plow. Additional crew members clear parking lots and sidewalks on city property. If the storm lasts long enough, a second crew is called to relieve the first.
streets in newer subdivisions
As the City of Mason grows, new roads that must be cleared of snow and ice are added every year. With the winter season upon us, it is important to note who is responsible for the removal of snow and ice within your subdivision.
Some streets in subdivisions still under construction remain the responsibility of the developer to plow until the street or subdivision is essentially complete. If your street does not have the top course of asphalt applied, it is likely that your developer has not yet turned it over to the city to maintain. To tell if the top course of asphalt has yet to be installed, look for raised manhole covers or a street surface lower than the curb. These conditions make it unsafe for large plows to clear the snow.
The following subdivisions have NOT been accepted by City Council and have a contact person you may call if you have questions or complaints on the snow and ice removal:
Alverta Subdivision
Joey Fay, Stonegate Property Management
859.534.0900
The Estates at Chestnut Hill, Section 4
Jim Kiefer, Great Traditions
513.563.4070
Reserves of Bethany
Joseph F. Farruggia, Classic Properties
513.492.9630
Reserves of Carmelle Subdivision
Jill Prior
513.891.7100 x106
Willow Brooke Subdivision
Lance Oaks; CESO
937.272.1100
Boxwood Farms
Jim McVicker, Boxwood Farms, LLC
513.755.0159
private streets
Some streets are private and will never be plowed by the city. These streets are usually around condominium developments and are maintained by the homeowner associations.
To determine whether your street is private, check the street sign. If it is green lettering on a white background, it is a private street. Signs with white lettering on a green background are public streets. If you are unsure of the status of your subdivision or have further questions, please contact the Engineering Department at 513.229.8520.