36.02 Level of Service
Clearance of snow or ice and maintenance of the secondary road system during the winter months is primarily for the benefit of the local residents of Washington County. Each storm has individual characteristics and must be dealt with accordingly. The portion of the roadway improved for travel will have upon it snow and ice in a compacted condition. These conditions may be continuous, or they may be more concentrated on hills, in valleys, curves, and/or intersections. The County’s existing snow removal equipment and personnel will be utilized for this purpose. On occasion County personnel may be rendered unavailable due to the requirements of the Omnibus Transportation Employee Testing Act of 1991. Except for “emergencies” as determined by the County Engineer’s professional judgment, or a designee acting in the absence of the County Engineer, on a case-by-case basis, all clearance of snow and ice, sanding, salting, and other maintenance respecting winter conditions shall be accomplished within the amount of money budgeted for this service and as practicable. The entire width of that portion of the road improved for travel may not be cleared of snow, ice, compacted snow and ice, or frost. Snow cleared from that part of the roadway improved for travel shall be placed on or in the adjacent shoulder, ditch, or right-of-way. Snow can be expected to accumulate adjacent to the traveled portion to the extent that a motorist’s sight distance to both the left and right may be greatly reduced or impaired. The snow removed from intersections will be piled in its corners in piles of unequal height. The lines of sight, sight distance, or visibility of motorists approaching these intersections may be greatly reduced or impaired. The County shall not be responsible for snow pushed or otherwise placed on the roadway or shoulders by others. Motorists shall drive their vehicles during these conditions with additional caution and watchfulness, especially in respect to the surface of the roadway, and reduced or impaired visibility, and are advised to reduce their speed at least 25 miles per hour below that legally permitted or advised under normal conditions. In respect to roadways that have only 1 lane open, further extreme watchfulness and caution should be exercised by motorists, and their speed should not exceed 10 miles per hour. During these conditions, no additional warning or regulatory signs will be placed warning of impaired sight distances, visibility at intersections, road blockages, 1-lane conditions, or that the road surface is slick or slippery, or what the advised speed should be.

36.03 Sequence of Service
In the implementation of snow and ice removal and other maintenance of the County’s secondary road system during the winter months, the County Engineer shall select the actual sequence of roads to be cleared on a case-by-case basis as provided for in this section, and shall determine when driving, wind velocity, and additional snow or snowstorms require that the snow removal equipment be removed from the roadway, or that additional clearance of paved routes be accomplished prior to the clearance of unpaved roads. The Washington County Secondary Road Department regular working hours are 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day exclusive of Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays observed by Washington County employees. The County Engineer may analyze the severity and individual characteristics of each storm to determine the most efficient working hours for implementing and accomplishing the snow and ice removal policy. This may mean extending the regular working hours by starting earlier and/or working later than the regular operation hours. The implementation and accomplishment of the snow and ice removal policy will not normally be extended to include operations between the hours of 5 p.m. and 5 a.m. There is no time limit after a snowstorm which any of the following sequence of clearance, on paved or unpaved roads, shall take place. Neither is there an obligation of the County in performing such operations when lack of visibility or driver fatigue, in the professional judgment of the County Engineer, may cause hazardous working conditions. The County Engineer’s professional judgment shall prevail, unless it is clearly erroneous.

• Paved Routes
  • The initial effort will be to get all routes open to 2-lane traffic as soon as possible or practicable. During initial snow removal operation, paved roads may only have 1 lane plowed for a period of time. Extended operation hours may be used to accomplish this sequence of service.
  • After 2-lane travel is possible, subsequent snow removal will be carried on during regular working hours.
  • The truck mounted snowplows and spreaders may be called off the road if snow or blowing snow reduces visibility to hazardous working conditions, in the professional judgment of the County Engineer.
  • When required, due to drifting snow, motor graders may be used to keep the paved roads open, and the opening of gravel roads may be delayed.
  • It is not the policy of the County to provide a “dry” pavement condition.
  • After roads have been plowed as provided in this section, intersections, hills, curves, and portions of the roadway, as deemed necessary by the County Engineer, may (but not necessarily) have placed on them salt, sand or other abrasive. These areas may not be re-sanded, re-salted or have other abrasives replaced on them between snowstorms. This sequence of service will normally be performed during regular working hours.
• Unpaved Roads
  • The initial effort will be to get 1-lane traffic open to all occupied residences on Level A routes as soon as possible and/or practicable after a storm has passed. Extended operation hours may be used to accomplish this sequence of service.
  • After 1-lane travel is possible to all occupied residences, subsequent snow removal will be carried on during regular working hours.
  • Unpaved roads may not be plowed if the wind is causing continual drifting. The motor graders and/or other snow removal equipment may be called off the road if snow and blowing reduces visibility to hazardous working conditions, in the professional judgment of the County Engineer. Generally, snow will be plowed to the south and east to reduce drifting across the roadway by the prevailing north and west winds.
  • Snow and ice will not be removed from roads designated as Level B or Level C. The County, at its option, may plow a Level B road if it is the most efficient route for snow removal equipment to get to other Level A roads.
• Private Drives, Streets and Roads - The County will not clear snow from private drives, streets and roads. Normal snow removal operations may result in snow being deposited in private drives, streets and roads. Snow from private drives, streets and roads shall not be placed on the roadway or shoulders.
• Mailboxes and Fences - The County will assume no liability for mailboxes and fences damaged because of snow removal unless such action can be determined to be malicious. The County will not repair or replace mailboxes or fences damaged or knocked down by snow removal operations or by the force of snow thrown from the plow.
• Obstructions - Obstructions on road right-of-way (bales, vehicles, equipment, fences, etc.) which may cause snow drifts and/or interfere with snow removal operations, are to be removed by the owner pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 318 Code of Iowa. The County will not be liable for damage to any obstructions interfering with snow removal operations. Obstructions not removed by owner will be removed at owner’s expense as provided in Section 318.5, Code of Iowa.
• Stalled and Stranded Vehicles - The County will not be liable for damage to vehicles stalled or stranded on the traveled portion or shoulders of roads, during snow removal operations. The vehicle owner’s responsibility will be to notify County officials as to the location of stalled or stranded vehicles so County crews can use due care to avoid damage to said vehicles and County equipment. It is also the owner’s responsibility to remove vehicles from the roadway as soon as the road is opened. Vehicles obstructing snow removal operations will be removed at the owner’s expense.

36.04 Limitation of Service
Notwithstanding anything else stated in this chapter, the policy and level of service provided for in this chapter shall not include the following, and the following services shall not be performed:

• Sanding, salting, or placing of other abrasives upon the roadway that are slick, slippery, and dangerous due to the formation of frost.
• Sanding, salting, or placing other abrasives upon paved roadways due to freezing precipitation that occurs outside the County’s regular working hours.
• Placing of additional warning or regulatory signs warning of impaired sight distances, visibility at intersections, road blockages, 1-lane conditions, or that the road surface is slick or slippery, or what the advised speed should be.
• Sanding, salting or placing abrasives upon any road, except for paved roads. If in the opinion of the County Engineer an “emergency” exists and ice has built up on hill and intersections on the unpaved system so as to become dangerous, abrasive material may be applied at these locations as crew and equipment availability allows and only as a last resort. This condition will not, under any circumstances, take a higher priority than placing of abrasive material on the paved road system and will only be done after the paved roads are cleared of ice and snow. Abrasive material will also only be placed after other mechanical means have been tried and failed, such as scraping with motor graders.
• Re-sanding or re-salting for freezing and thawing between snowstorms.
• Removing of sand, salt or other abrasives.
• Plowing, sanding, salting, or placing of abrasives on any road that is not within the jurisdiction of the County unless it is agreed to do so by a 28E Agreement between the County and the entity having jurisdiction of the road.

36.05 Emergency Conditions

• The County Engineer may suspend the level of service or sequence of service during what in the professional judgment of such official is deemed to be an “emergency” condition. An “emergency” condition shall be considered as 1 where loss of life is probable, where a serious injury has occurred, or where extensive loss of property is imminent. These conditions should be verified through the 911 dispatcher or Sheriff’s Office. The County may respond to all “emergency” conditions, either during or after a snowstorm. Any person who makes a false report of an “emergency” to an officer, official, or employee of Washington County or who causes a false report to be so made shall, upon conviction, be subject to a fine of not more than $500 or imprisonment of not more than 30 days in the County jail.
• The provisions of this chapter shall be further suspended in the event the Governor, by proclamation, implements the State Disaster Plan, or the Chairperson of the Board of Supervisors, by proclamation, implements the County Disaster Plan. If such occurs, the County personnel and equipment shall be immediately subject to the direction of the Governor or the Chairperson of the Board of Supervisors.