Specifications include, but are not limited to: A. PLOWING OPERATIONS The Contractor shall have an emergency telephone number available 24/7. All vehicles must report within the allocated time given. Vehicles will travel to and from their routes with blades down and working and then upon arrival only plow on their assigned route, unless instructed otherwise. Contractor shall report any vehicle mechanical problems to the Operations Manager immediately. Operators shall obey all traffic laws, maintaining a reasonable speed at all times and not overloading the vehicles with ballast. All streets shall be cleared to their full paved width and all intersections shall be cleared and pushed back after every storm, regardless of snow depth. No plow shall deviate from its assigned route unless specifically ordered to do so by the Operations Manager or designee. Operators must notify the Operations Manager or designee when leaving and returning to their vehicles for meals or relief. The Contractor shall report all damages to private property immediately to the Operations Manager and Safety Officer or designee to facilitate processing of claims by the City. The Contractor’s staff shall extend proper courtesy to all citizens and refer them to the City’s Public Works department. If a plow operator encounters vehicles parked on the street that hinder snow removal, the operator shall notify the Operations Manager as soon as possible. Operators must familiarize themselves with assigned routes to avoid missing streets, inadvertently piling snow in front of garages and exits and widening of corners, which require special attention. All vehicles shall be inspected by the operator at the end of each plowing operation, checking oil, fuel, tires, wipers, blades, etc. B. PLOWING METHODS AND PRIORITIES Depending on the severity of the storm, the Operations Manager or designee may direct that some or all plows focus on keeping the center of each road open. If instructed, the Contractor shall maintain this method until otherwise advised. Other than when directed to open and maintain single lanes, the general standard for acceptable work shall be for the Contractor to plow snow to the maximum extent possible to the side of the street, leaving no windrows in intersections and turning lanes. All streets shall be plowed the full width of pavement. Streets shall be plowed from the center to the curb or edge of pavement. Snow from intersections shall be plowed parallel to the curbs so that no snow remains in the intersection. Intersections must be curved, and snow deposited on tangent sections of streets beyond the curved radii. Plowing shall be at a speed that is sufficient to move the snow, not at a speed which is unsafe or excessive. Plowing shall be with a loose hoisting chain so the plow rides on the blade cutting edge. Plow equipment shall not turn around in private driveways. C. SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS Intersections and curb radii shall be properly cleared, with no residual snow left remaining in intersections. One-way streets shall be plowed to each curb or edge of pavement. The right side of the centerline shall be plowed to the right side and the left side of the centerline plowed to the left side. At no time shall a one-way street be plowed the wrong way against the traffic pattern. On dead end streets (excluding cul-de-sacs), snow shall not be pushed into the end of dead end streets. Rather, near the end of a dead end, the operator shall pick up the plow blade, proceed to the end of the street, drop the blade and pull the snow back from the end of the street far enough that the operator can then turn around and push the snow out from the end of the street. Snow shall be placed in the center of cul-de-sacs as a windrow. If parked cars or other obstructions block a street, every effort shall be made to attempt to bypass the blockage. If unable to bypass the blockage, the operator shall immediately notify the City. If the blockage can be removed within a reasonable time, the Contractor will be expected to then plow the street. Schools/City properties/parking lots shall be plowed per the direction of the Operations Manager or designee.
