Updated Snow and Ice Control Plan Issued By Enfield Officials

ENFIELD, CT — In advance of the season's first predicted major snowstorm later this week, Enfield officials have issued an updated version of the policies and guidelines for snow and ice removal throughout the town.

The 21-page updated plan, approved last month by public works director Donald Nunes and Town Manager Christopher Bromson, details the objectives and procedures to be followed in the event of snow and/or ice. The primary objective for the Department of Public Works (DPW) is to provide for the passage of emergency vehicles, while secondary objectives are the safe and orderly movement of traffic and pedestrians on about 183 miles of streets in Enfield.

When notification of a winter storm is approaching, within two hours of precipitation occurring, DPW Highway Division trucks are activated and dispatched to pretreat their assigned routes. The DPW Buildings and Grounds Division simultaneously dispatches trucks to pretreat routes in the Thompsonville section of town, on the west side of Enfield Street from Enfield High School, north to the state line.

According to the plan:

• The main arteries are treated with salt and calcium chloride first, then treatment of the primary subdivision access roads and lastly all secondary roads, dead ends and cul-de-sacs. Main arteries are typically defined by roads with centerline pavement markings. Primary subdivision access roads are typically roads that lead from a large subdivision on to a “main arterial road.” Pretreatment of the roads is done to prevent the snow/ice from bonding to the pavement.
• Once an accumulation of 2 to 3 inches of snow is received, plowing of the main arterial roads begin. If weather forecast calls for rain or freezing rain, plowing is held off to utilize the snow cover to absorb the rain or freezing rain. This is done to prevent the formation of glazed ice on the plowed road surface. All main roads and primary subdivision access roads are cleared to allow emergency services (police, fire and EMS) and residents to travel about the town safely. Primary subdivision roads are cleared to provide residents with a relatively short distance within subdivisions to a treated roadway. Timing of plowing subdivisions depends on the nature of the storm and is handled on a storm-by-storm basis. When snowfall accumulations of more than 6 inches are expected, every effort is made to make at least one pass through secondary roads during the snow event to allow residents to get to their homes. It takes an average of 6 to 8 hours, from the completion of a snow event, to plow and treat all town roadways. The day after a snow event, all streets are revisited for cleanup which includes treating with salt or pushing back road edges as needed.

Other information contained in the plan includes residents' responsibilities to clear sidewalks, parking bans, sand bin placement and damaged mailbox replacement.

"The updated Snow and Ice Plan continues DPW’s commitment to the residents about informing them what to do, what to expect and how they can help us during a snow event," Nunes told Patch. "DPW, through the endorsement of Town Council and the town manager, formalized the plan in 2018 and has posted on the website since. The updates this year are minor in nature, including changing the initials of the staff responsible for notifications and truck numbers assigned to a particular route. The Snow and Ice Plan has cleared up many issues, including who is responsible for damage to mailboxes and items left in the right-of-way such as portable basketball hoops. It also provides a wealth of information, including where to find off-street parking, location of sand barrels and how the parking ban works. Let’s hope for a mild winter like we did last year!"

The complete document may be viewed here.

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