Snow Plowing

When the snow starts to fall, the Public Works Department activates its Snow and Ice Removal Plan. Exactly what happens under the plan depends on the amount of precipitation that has fallen, what's predicted to fall, the temperature, the expected duration of the storm, and moisture content.

Both plowing and salt-spreading operations help control winter road hazards, with Village crews spreading more salt at intersections and around curves. The effectiveness of salt depends on traffic volume, pavement type (concrete or asphalt), shade patterns and temperature. Salt is less effective when the temperature dips to 25 degrees (F) and may have no effect at all in very cold temperatures.

Not all roads within the Village are maintained by the Public Works Department. Questions about certain highways should be directed to the agencies responsible:

  • Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT)
  • Winnebago County Highway Departments

 

Snow Reminders

  • Please do not shovel or plow snow and/or ice into any Village street, onto any public sidewalk, or obstruct any fire hydrants.

 

  • Please remind children playing in the snow or building snow forts, snowmen, etc., to stay well away from the street.

 

  • No parking is allowed on any Village street on which there is an accumulation of snow 2 or more inches in depth until plowing operations have been completed.

 

  • It is the responsibility of every owner, lessee, tenant, occupant or other person having charge of any building or lot of property in the Village abutting upon any public way or public place to remove the snow and ice from the sidewalk in front of said building or lot of property.



Snow Plowing Suggestions and Safety Reminders

1. Remove your vehicles from public streets when approximately 2 inches of snow has fallen or is predicated to fall

Parked vehicles in the road not only make it harder for our drivers to thoroughly clean the streets, but it also endangers their safety by forcing them to zigzag in and out of traffic on slippery roads, thereby increasing their chance for accidents. The Village does ticket violators!

2. If possible stay off the road.

As much as possible, please avoid driving or parking on the road during heavy snowstorms. Our primary purpose is to clear streets for emergency vehicles. The less traffic our drivers encounter, the faster and more efficiently they can clear the streets.

3. Do not shovel or blow snow into public streets.

Again, this not only defeats the purpose of our snow plowing, but causes unsafe conditions for all drivers. All shoveled or blown snow should be piled in your yard or parkway. We highly recommend putting the snow on your side of the sidewalk to leave room for the street snow on the parkway. Again, violators will be ticketed.

4. Drive cautiously!

If you must be out, please use extreme caution. Drive slowly and watch at intersections. Do not follow our plows too closely. Leave plenty of room between cars and brake slowly. Use extreme caution in passing our plowing and salting equipment.

5. Don’t expect us to leave the base of your driveway clean and neat!

We know it is frustrating to shovel your driveway and then have the plow come by and push snow back at the base. Although we would like to minimize the problem, there is no way to plow the street so that your driveway remains completely “snow free” without greatly increasing the manpower and money required to run our operation. We urge residents to assist their frail and elderly neighbors with shoveling tasks whenever possible.

Minding Your Mailbox

Mailboxes can fall victim to the snowplow. Nonetheless, the Village will repair or replace mailboxes and posts damaged by snow-removal operations, provided they are properly installed and in good condition before the snow flies.

Be sure the front of the mailbox is 6-12 inches from the back of the curb, and the bottom of the mailbox is 42 inches from the top of the curb back. The post, made of 4"x4" pressure-treated lumber or two-inch diameter steel or aluminum, should be embedded in a concrete-filled hole that is 12 inches in diameter and 24 inches deep.

Regarding damaged mailboxes, the Village of Rockton's municipal code Section 95.03 Snow and Ice Removal: 


(D) (1) In the event the village determines, in its sole discretion, that village snow plows/vehicles have actually and physically hit and damaged a mailbox during the course of providing snow removal services, the village may replace the damaged mailbox with a basic metal mailbox and wooden four-by-four post. In no event shall the village be obligated to spend more than $31 for the replacement mailbox and post. To the extent the owner of the damaged mailbox desires to install a more expensive mailbox, the owner shall notify the village Public Works Director of such intent and the village shall forward the owner a check in the amount of $31 to be applied towards the cost of the more expensive mailbox.

     (2) Notwithstanding the foregoing, payment by the village shall only be applicable to those damaged mailboxes which conformed to any and all applicable federal, state, local and postal regulations. The village shall not be obligated to replace any mailboxes which are damaged as a result of the snow that is thrown or plowed by the plow blade.