For Jeff Kinsey, public works director of Elizabethtown Borough, snow is much more than just a pretty picture. It means rallying his crew of 16, which includes both borough employees and contracted services, to keep the streets safe for travel. We talked with Kinsey about how the borough tackles the white stuff in winter.
Merchandiser: How many miles does the borough plow?
Kinsey: 41.4 miles
Merchandiser: At what point do you start plowing?
Kinsey: Typically, Elizabethtown Borough's public works crew will start plowing around the 5-inch mark. However, there are a number of other factors that could impact our decision to plow at lesser amounts, or not at all. ... We evaluate every projected storm and manage our response based on a number of variables including time of day, length of storm, temperature, etc.
Merchandiser: Do you plow 24 hours a day?
Kinsey: Yes, the public works crew will plow any time of the day; however, our preference is to plow in the middle of the night when there is less traffic.
Merchandiser: When does the borough begin planning for snow removal, and how do you plan?
Kinsey: The planning process starts in March as the borough must submit our expected salt quantities for the next year. The salt quantity ordered is based on a five-year average.
Merchandiser: How does the borough determine the order and priority of plowing roads?
Kinsey: The borough is broken up into four sections with trucks assigned to those sections. Each section has approximately 10 miles of roadway to plow. In those sections the priorities are the snow emergency routes, followed by the main (most heavily traveled) streets, and finishing up with the lesser-traveled streets.
Merchandiser: What is a homeowner's responsibility in terms of their property?
Kinsey: Homeowners must clear the snow and any accumulated ice from the public sidewalk in front of their property. (It) must be cleared within 12 hours from the end of the weather event. Snow is not permitted to be placed back on the street. The Borough routinely educates and encourages homeowners to clear the snow around the fire hydrants and follow PA vehicle code for cleaning ice and snow from (car) windows before driving.
Merchandiser: If a resident has questions on the snow policies, whom should they contact?
Kinsey: We ask that residents and property owners contact the Elizabethtown Borough office at 717-367-1700.
Merchandiser: What do you wish residents of the borough knew about snow and what your office does?
Kinsey: Borough crews will always salt the street first before plowing. Salting is designed to keep the snow from bonding to the pavement and in restricting the bond, it helps plow the snow off the streets. (Also) please be patient! The Elizabethtown public works crews are working hard - and often in hazardous conditions - to make our community's streets safe.
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