“Outside Look” at Snow and Ice Control in Omaha - American Public ...

4/26/09March 1, 2007 Blizzard• Official snowfall depth was 7” to 9”.• Drifts of 24” reported.• Winds gusts of 40 mph.• Temperatures in the teens and 20’sthroughout the first four days.March 1, 2007 Blizzard• Snowfall began Thursday morning (3/1).• Light snow and heavy to moderate windscontinued to Saturday evening (3/3).• Drifting was a problem.• Plowing was completed on Wednesday(3/7).• Crews immediately went into a citywidepothole operation on Thursday (3/8).Resources used during blizzard• Every available Public Works and ParksDepartment operator and truck wasengaged (120 plows).• Approximately 25 contracted plows.• Public Works received over 5,000 phonecalls from public• Public Works provided dozens ofinterviews to media.2009 NASC

4/26/09Peer City Review• Peer Cities Contacted– Des Moines, IA *– Ft. Wayne, IN– Kansas City, MO *– Lincoln, NE *– Minneapolis, MN *– Peoria, IL * (snow and ice control expenditures “buried” in budget)– St. Louis, MO– St. Paul, MN * (provided centerline miles and not lane miles)– Sioux Falls, SD*– Toledo, OH– Wichita, KS * (does not service residential streets)* Provided Peer City DataPeer City Surveys (Page-1)Peer City Surveys (Page-2)2009 NASC

4/26/09Peer City Surveys (Page-3)Peer City Surveys (Page-4)Peer City FindingsAverage Snow and Ice Costs per Capita and Per 1" of Snow per Lane Mile80.0070.00$ per Capita and per 1" of Snow per Lane Mile60.0050.0040.0030.0020.00Ave. = $43.34 per 1” of Snow per Lane MileAve. = $15.09 per CapitaAve. Expenditure/CapitaAverage Cost/1" of Snow /Lane-Mile10.000.00$10.30$30.86Omaha City 1 City 2 City 3 City 4 City 5 City 6 City 7 City 82009 NASC

4/26/09Peer City FindingsAverage Snow and Ice Costs Per Lane Mile and Per 1" of Snow per Square Mile of City$3,500$ per Lane Mile and per 1" of Snow per Square Mile of City$3,000$2,500$2,000$1,500$1,000$500Ave. = $1,718 per Lane MileAve. = $1,219 per 1” of Snow per Square Mile of CityAverage Cost/Lane MileAverage Cost/1” of Snow /Square Mile of City$926$1,117$0Omaha, NE City 1 City 2 City 3 City 4 City 5 City 6 City 7 City 8Peer City FindingsLane Miles per Operator and per Piece of Equipment60.050.040.0Ave. = 38.0 Lane Miles per SpreaderLane Miles per Unit30.0Ave. = 22.9 Lane Miles per Snow PlowLane Miles/OperatorLane Miles/Snow PlowLane Miles/Spreader20.0Ave. = 17 Lane Miles per Operator10.023.736.852.40.0Omaha City 1 City 2 City 3 City 4 City 5 City 6 City 7 City 8Consultant’s Opinion• Omaha’s expenditures for snow and icecontrol annually are:– 31% less per capita than its peer cities– 46% less per lane mile than its peer cities– 29% less per 1” of snow per lane mile than itspeer citiesAnd,2009 NASC

4/26/09Consultant’s Opinion• Omaha’s snow and ice control resourcesare expected to cover:– 39% more lane miles per operator than itspeer cities– 61% more lane miles per snow plow than itspeer cities– 38% more lane miles per spreader than itspeer citiesReview of Omaha’s Practices• Received and reviewed numerous documentsprovided by the city– Snow Plan Manual– Organizational Chart– Route Maps– Narrative description of the snow and ice program– Public information pamphlet (dated December 2005)– Ordinances related to snow emergency routes andparking enforcement on those routesAnd,Review of Omaha’s Practices• Interviewed and visited with the streetmaintenance engineer on numerous occasions• Accompanied the street maintenance engineeron a “night run” during a January 2008 snowevent• Met with the street maintenance engineer’ssupervisor (city engineer) and several of thedivision’s field supervisors, including thesuperintendent and two district foremen.• A total of 14 City Staff Members wereinterviewed (including leaders of organized laborunion)2009 NASC

4/26/09City Staff Interview FormClient Practices Reviewed• Program Goals and Objectives• Public Information• Organizational Structure• Resources• Chemical Usage• Future Technologies• Provide for Future Technology Exchanges with PeerCities• Ordinances Related to Adjacent Property Owner’sResponsibility to Clean Adjacent Sidewalks of Snow andIce and Emergency No Parking RestrictionsProgram Goals and Objectives• The Snow and Ice Control Manual states:– “On major streets, the Street Maintenance Division’sgoal is to clear these streets of ice and snow to barepavement a soon as possible.”• Also,– “Snow and ice control efforts are geared to provideaccess to the residential and business areas.” And,– “Residential areas will be completed in as timely amanner as conditions allow.”2009 NASC

4/26/09Consultant’s OpinionThe City of Omaha’sgoal for clearingresidential streets istoo vaguePublic Information• City takes a reactive approach to publicinformation – wait for the media to contactthe city once a storm is forecast or occurs• No pre-season mailings to citizens• Favorable feedback on city’s e-mail(previously Fax) notifications tobusinesses of impending conditionsConsultant’sOpinionsThe City of Omaha needs to be moreproactive in their approach to publicinformation about their snow and icecontrol program2009 NASC

4/26/09Organizational Structure• Street Maintenance Division is a “FlatOrganization”– Street Maintenance Engineer– Street Maintenance Superintendent– District Foremen• Focused on quantity and quality of service withintheir district boundariesConsultant’s OpinionsThe City of Omaha couldbenefit from increasedadministrativemanagement/support andgreater delegation ofauthority/ responsibility tofield supervisorsResources124 Plowing Units and 87 Spreading Units• Personnel– 122 Street Maintenance Division Operators and 50 “borrowed” personnel= 86 per 12 hour shift• Trucks:– 75 of 35,000 GVW or Greater, including 7 tandem axle trucks (w/ snowplows, 64 with spreaders)– 28 of less than 35,000 GVW (all w/ snow plows, 23 with spreaders)– Pick-up trucks = 17 (all w/ snow plows, no spreaders)• Motor graders = 42009 NASC

4/26/09Consultant OpinionsThe City of Omaha isnot investingadequately in thenumbers of snow andice control personneland equipment andalternative equipmenttypes could enhanceproductivity• Salt• Salt/Sand MixturesChemical Usage• Some use of liquid chemicals for “prewetting”salt and salt/sand mixtures• No anti-icingConsultant OpinionsThe City ofOmaha relies tooheavily on sandand otherabrasives andcould enhancetheir program byincorporatingliquid anti-icingpractices2009 NASC

4/26/09Future Technologies• Omaha is pretty progressive– GIS mapping of snow routes– Beginning to incorporate AVL inplowing/spreading units– Use of Internet reporting technology forupdating managers on route statusOmaha Public WorksDepartmentCommunication during a snoweventAVL System2009 NASC

4/26/09AVL Mapped ReportsAVL Tabular ReportsGoogle Docs (web based operationreport)2009 NASC

4/26/09Operation LogSnow Ops (Web based GIS operationreport)Codespear• Emergency call is made to any number ofpersonnel on any number of devices.• Call is initiated from a PC.• Message is preset or custom.• Records when call is acknowledged.• Goes out to phones, pagers, emails, textmessages, ….2009 NASC

4/26/09Codespear messageNotification GroupConsultant’s OpinionsThe City of Omahais applyingadvancedtechnologies in itssnow and icecontrol programmanagement andshould continuethis effort2009 NASC

4/26/09Provide for Technology Exchangewith Peer Cities• Omaha participates in NE Chapter APWA• Occasional dialogue with Lincoln, NE• Visited Kansas City, MO several years agoConsultant’s OpinionsThe City of Omahacould benefit fromgreatertechnologicalexchangesbetween its staffand other snowand ice controlprofessionalsOrdinances Related to AdjacentProperty Owner’s Responsibility toClean Adjacent Sidewalks of Snowand Ice and Emergency No ParkingRestrictions• Citizens don’t believe city addresses sidewalkclearing– City doesn’t advertise program but it is reactive tocitizen complaints• City does not enact Emergency No ParkingRestrictions on Snow Routes or doesn’t enforcethem2009 NASC

4/26/09Consultant’s OpinionsThe City of Omahadoesn’t adequatelypublicize its sidewalkclearing policy/programand ordinances thataren’t enforced areworse than uselessCitizen Interviews• Interviewed 9 citizens (neighborhoodassociation leaders) recommended bymembers of the City Council• Met with 13 business peoplerecommended by Chamber of Commerceand city staff, including City Council’sadministrative staffCitizen Interview Form2009 NASC

4/26/09Top 5 Citizen Interview Comments1. General satisfaction with major streets’ snow and ice control andgeneral dissatisfaction with minor and residential streets2. Generally ineffective pre-season public information efforts by thecity, adequate to good during a storm3. The city could make better utilization of equipment andtechnologies4. Increased resources, personnel and equipment, are identified asthe greatest needs to an improved snow and ice control program5. The public is generally negative towards a tax increase or higherfees for city services but many felt if significant snow and icecontrol program improvements can be attained, they would besupportiveRecommendations1. Develop a more comprehensive public informationcampaign regarding Omaha’s Snow and Ice ControlProgram, utilizing:a. Pro-active media contactsb. Providing citizens with information packetsc. Utilizing Public Service Announcements (PSA) opportunitiesthrough local cable TV providersd. Upgrading snow and ice control materials on the City’s websitee. Continue e-mail notifications to Omaha businesses on weather,street conditions and city’s plan for early dismissal of employeesdue to driving conditionsf. Explain to the public their responsibility to ensure that sidewalksare cleared of snow and ice in a timely fashion and the city’sprogram to clear those, on a complaint basis, that aren't’ clearedby the property ownerg. Make these recommendations and the reports available to thecitizens of OmahaRecommendations2. Update the Snow Program Manuala. Identify program goals by streetclassificationb. Document salt or salt additive and abrasiveapplications rates by storm typec. Incorporate information contained inseparately provided “narrative description”into official program manual2009 NASC

4/26/09Recommendations3. Determine desirability of retaining thecurrent municipal ordinance regarding“Emergency No Parking”• If desirable, enforce or if not desirable,eliminate itRecommendations4. Make resource related changes to the City’s Snow andIce Control Programa. Number of personnel (authorized and filling vacancies)b. Authorize an Assistant to the Street Maintenance Engineerc. Delegate more authority to field level supervisorsd. Training of personnele. Evaluate purchase of wing plowsf. Emphasize salt or salt alternatives usage and minimize sandand other abrasives usageg. Incorporate anti-icing into programh. Evaluate opportunities to re-assign existing pick-up trucks andpurchase more in the future – residential street plowing/saltingRecommendations5. Invest in capability to improve snow andice control program by increasingequipment replacement funding andcontinuing to specify equipment bestsuited to the snow and ice control needsof the city2009 NASC

4/26/09Recommendations6. Invest in more modern technologya. Anti-icingb. Fixed spray applicatorsc. “Plow vision” trackingChanges in Omaha’s snow planbegan in 2008 / 2009 snowseasonOrganized web site2009 NASC

4/26/09Better contentBrine TruckWarning sign & light bar2009 NASC

4/26/09Fill connectionControl valvesBrine Storage2009 NASC

4/26/09Questions?2009 NASC