This year, two public works agencies will receive the American Public Works Association (APWA) 2017 Excellence in Snow and Ice Control Awards. Established to promote excellence in the management and administration of public works snow and ice operations, the APWA Snow and Ice Control Award also promotes the best practices in snow and ice removal, while minimizing environmental impacts. The 2017 Excellence in Snow and Ice Control Awards will be presented at the 2017 APWA North American Snow Conference during April 23-26, 2017 in the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines, IA.
The recipients selected for the 2017 APWA Excellence in Snow and Ice Control Awards include:
*City of Columbia, MO. Public Works Department:
The City of Columbia’s Public Works staff are tasked with snow and ice control on over 1, 360 lane miles of streets during inclement weather. Maintenance personnel are responsible for plowing snow and treating 275 lane miles of first priority streets and 191 lane miles of second priority streets. The city’s downtown area is split into two districts, north and south, and maintenance personnel are responsible for plowing and treating this area as well.
The city also has a variety of equipment used for snow and ice control including 12 one-ton pickups, of which four are compressed natural gas equipped with plows and spreaders; nine single-axle dump trucks equipped with plows and spreaders; 12 tandem-axle dump trucks equipped with plows and spreaders, and one tandem-axle brine applicator truck, two one-ton brine applicator trucks; one motorgrader with wing plow; four backhoes and two 12-foot push boxes; two skidsteers; one rubber tire loader to load salt; one rubber tire loader with push box; three snow blowers; one garden tractor with front blade and drop box spreader use for public sidewalk plowing and three salt buggies to spread salt on public pedways. In addition, the city’s salt storage facility is designed to provide safe storage and containment of materials with a reduction of impacts from stormwater runoff, as well as safely house 5,000 tons of granular salt in an enclosed facility.
*City of Montgomery, OH. Public Works Department:
The City of Montgomery’s primary objective is “snow and ice control on roadways and public property as an essential municipal service necessary for public safety, daily mobility, services and other economic transactions and the elimination of delays for emergency vehicles, the motoring public and pedestrians atpublic facilities.” The department strives to deliver quality services that are sound financially with quality customer service.
In 2015, the department installed a liquid tank system with a total capacity of 17,000 gallons of a combination of liquid alternative products to supplement snow operations. The Public Works Department researched and investigated various liquid alternatives and approaches and ultimately chose a liquid product that includes a combination of 50-60% magnesium chloride and 40-50% distillers condensed solubles. The liquid tanks system is set up to allow staff to use salt brine, a mixture of salt brine and liquid products, depending on the temperatures and forecasts.
In addition, the Public Works Department staff participates in classroom seminars provided by the Ohio Department of Transportation regarding safe driving techniques, the latest technology and research, and best practice approaches. Each year the Public Works Officials of Southwest Ohio host a “Snow Plow Roadeo” in which public works staff from a variety of jurisdictions compete in an obstacle course to prepare drivers for the upcoming winter season, while emphasizing safe driving practices. The Montgomery Public Works Department is actively involved in PWOSO and provides support and sends staff to the event on an annual basis.
