Photo 1: Backhoe operator Richard Baucum dumps salt in the truck driven by Prince Baker. Baucum is a technician III in the Parks & Facilities Division, Baker is a specialist in the Stormwater Maintenance Division.
Photo 2: Fleet mechanic Mark Ranson fixes the hydraulics on a plow.
Residents urged to give Public Works room to operate
COVINGTON, Ky. – City Hall will be closed Monday and driving on streets and roads throughout Kenton County is limited to “necessary” travel only for the time being, given an ongoing winter storm that has already dumped a couple of inches of snow on the region.
Residents with driveways are urged to move their cars there to give Public Works crews room to operate plows, and those who must park on the street are asked to avoid certain areas, like intersections and the bottom of cul-de-sacs and hills.
“The storm is going to cause some problems and inconvenience for a while,” Covington City Manager Ken Smith said. “We urge residents to stay of the streets not only for their own safety but to give our dedicated ‘Snow and Ice Team’ the time and room to treat our streets.”
Kenton County today raised its Level 1 snow emergency to a Level 2.
According to its declaration, “Conditions of a Level 2 snow emergency include: hazardous roadways with blowing and/or drifting snow, as well as the potential for ice. Only motorists whose travel is necessary should be on the roadways. Residents are urged to contact their employer to see if they should report to work.”
Smith said City Hall at 20 W. Pike St. will likely be open Tuesday, but that will depend upon the severity of the storm and the condition of the streets.
“Necessary” or “essential” travel includes for reasons like medical emergencies, the obtaining of food and water, going to work when required, and getting heating fuel or supplies.
The City’s Public Works Department has been preparing for days for the storm, pre-treating streets with salt brine and/or salt, installing plows and salt spinners, watching forecasts, and figuring out schedules for the “Snow and Ice Team,” which is divided into two shifts (“A” and “B.”)
The first shift reported today at 11 a.m. and is scheduled to work for 16 hours straight, get four hours’ sleep and report back in, said Parks & Facilities Division Supervisor Brad Schwenke, who is the Department’s “Snow Commander” this week. The second shift is to report at midnight, creating an overlap.
“Looking at the snow pile up and what is forecast, plus the combination of snow and ice to come, this is going to be a lot to keep up with, but the crews are out there plowing and salting on a steady basis,” Schwenke said. “We’re going to just continue keeping at it.”
At minimum, the City has 16 or 17 trucks plowing at any moment, with double that when the shifts overlap, he said.
Crews had to help a fire truck get up Promontory Drive to put out a car fire and as always have had to maneuver over metal plates covering holes where utility crews have been working, he said. “Generally we know where they are and avoid them, but they’re covered with snow and sometimes a plow catches a corner and knocks it out of place, and then we have to go shove it back,” he said. “But none of this is unusual.”
Covington Mayor Ron Washington, who spent Sunday afternoon and evening riding with plow truck driver James “J.J.” Johnson (a specialist in the Storm Water Division), said he saw firsthand the persistence and dedication of Public Works crews.
“They’re working hard out here,” he said by phone from the dump truck’s cab. “But we’ve had some close calls. I encourage drivers to stay off the road and, if they have to get out, to give plows a wide berth and show patience. I also encourage people to move their cars off the streets if they can.”
- Don’t plow or shovel driveways and sidewalks into the street.
- Park in a driveway when possible and when not, as close to the curb as you can, especially on narrow streets.
- Try not to park at the bottom of a steep hill, at the end of a cul-de-sac, or close to an intersection on a narrow street.
- Stay clear of plow trucks and don’t tailgate them.
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