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This special edition of the Water Matters newsletter has been created to provide residents with information on snow removal processes in Moscow and to report the latest in water system sampling results (page Regarding Snow Matters, the City of Moscow created the Snow Removal Task Force to review processes and make recommendations for improving snow removal operations in the city. Several recommendations were adopted by the City Council in October of 2009, one of which is the Snow Removal Proclamation Ordinance. The new ordinance is designed to keep certain major streets better plowed and those streets are now designated as Snow Routes (see map on page This will allow more space for people to park and travel on snow routes and provide safer travel routes for citizens throughout the winter. The ordinance outlines the process for keeping Snow Routes plowed during major snowfall events and defines the Mayor’s authority to issue a Snow Event Proclamation. Once a proclamation is issued, people who have vehicles parked on a Snow Route will have at least 12-hours notice (by radio, TV or newspaper) in order to move those vehicles off the street or to a non-designated Snow Route to allow snow plow crews to plow the entire street. After the 12-hour notice period, vehicles that are not moved may be ticketed or towed to allow for plowing. A Snow Event Proclamation ends when the street has been cleared. The City will notify newspapers, radio and TV stations that the Snow Event Proclamation is over. Vehicles in the downtown area do not need to be moved during Snow Event Proclamations. That area is shaded on the Snow Routes Map on page 2. Streets that are not designated as Snow Routes will be cleared according to the protocol established by the City’s Public Works Department. After a snowfall event or winter storm, the most heavily traveled streets in the City are cleared first in order to improve access throughout the City. These major streets are plowed repeatedly as the snow falls. Once they are cleared, residential areas that have less traffic are then plowed until the whole city has been cleared. Since the major streets in Moscow are a combination of State roads and City roads, you’ll see both the Idaho Transportation Department and the City of Moscow plowing snow. City of Moscow street crews work round the clock if needed to plow streets and provide as much access as possible. Extra staff from other departments in the City will help out if there are several storms that hit the area in a short period of time. Please be patient while City crews remove the snow. For more information please call the City of Moscow Public Works Department at [PHONE REDACTED]. Water Matters in the City of Moscow www.ci.moscow.id.us Special Edition - November 2009 New Rules for Snow Removal in Moscow To read the full ordinance and get more information on the new snow removal process visit the City’s Snow Removal Webpage at: www.ci.moscow.id.us/pw/engineering/snow.asp Snow What to expect this coming winter... Did you know? Last winter more than 7’6” of snow fell on • Moscow (about twice the average snowfall) It takes City plow crews 36 hours to make a single • pass to plow snow when operating 24 hours a day The City plows about 150 lane miles in Moscow • 1 ---PAGE BREAK--- Visit www.ci.moscow.id.us for more information. Snow Route Map Please note: Removal of snow from streets not designated as snow routes will occur as soon as possible and as determined by the City Public Works Director. 2 ---PAGE BREAK--- This winter set thermostats no lower than 55 degrees, even if the house is unoccupied to keep pipes from freezing. Rules for Keeping Sidewalks Clear It’s the law... It is the responsibility of residents in the City to keep the sidewalks next to their property clear of snow and debris. The purpose is to provide safe pedestrian routes throughout the city. This coming year, a trial program will be used to provide timely assistance to residents as City crews will be plowing sidewalks along designated snow routes. The City Parks and Facilities Division will be using smaller sized snow removal equipment to clear sidewalks and pathways along those routes. This program will be conducted on weekdays only and does not relieve residents in adjacent properties from their duty to remove snow and ice from their sidewalks. Property owners will still be responsible for snow clean up, sod repair, sprinkler repair, and other damage not caused by operator negligence. It is also stated in the new Snow Removal Proclamation Ordinance that property owners should not push snow or other debris into the street. That provision is intended to assist in providing safer parking and travel routes for citizens. This program includes over 20 miles of sidewalk clearing, and will be subject to ongoing review. The schedule for sidewalk snow removal will be variable and will depend on the severity of each snow storm and the availability of qualified operators. For more information on keeping sidewalks clear of snow, please call the City of Moscow Public Works Department at [PHONE REDACTED]. Clearing Fire Hydrants Safety First! Residents are responsible to clear the area around fire hydrants located on or near their property. The City asks that a two to three foot circle around the hydrants be cleared to provide access for emergency crews and the water department. By assisting fire crews and the City in keeping hydrants clear, your are helping to keep our community safe. Precious seconds could be wasted locating or digging out a hydrant for use. By keeping the hydrant clear of snow, it allows volunteer firefighters to provide the best possible service to your family, neighbors and businesses. For more information about clearing fire hydrants or to report a blocked hydrant, please call the City of Moscow Water Department at [PHONE REDACTED]. 3 Q: What’s the world record for snowfall in a 24-hour period? A: Silver Lake, Colorado - 76 inches ---PAGE BREAK--- City of Moscow 206 East Third Street Moscow, Idaho 83843 Presorted Standard U.S. Postage PAID Moscow ID Permit No. 215 A production of the City of Moscow. Printed on recycled paper, minimum 30% post-consumer content. Do not open water meter boxes in the winter as this will allow heat to escape and may contribute to freezing of the water system. Table 1: UCMR 2 Contaminant Monitoring List. Contaminant Name Use or Environmental Source Dimethoate Insecticide use on crops and for residential use Terbufos sulfone Systemic control of soil-borne insects and nematodes Five Flame Retardants Use or Environmental Source BDE-47 Added to plastics (for products such as computer monitors, televisions, textiles, and plastic foams) BDE-99 HBB BDE-153 BDE-100 Three Explosives Use or Environmental Source Dinitrobenzene Used in explosives and manufacturing of aramid fibers, spandex, and dyes Trinitrotoluene (TNT) Used as an explosive in bombs and grenades, and as a propellant RDX Used in detonators, primers, mines, rocket boosters, and plastic explosives The City’s Public Water System (PWS) is required to provide special notice to residents served by the system of the availability of monitoring results from sampling to comply with the Federal Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Regulation 2 (UCMR The UCMR 2 requires all PWSs serving 10,000 or more individuals to conduct monitoring for the 10 unregulated contaminants shown in Table 1. Samples were collected at Wells and #9 on May 15 and November 14, 2008, and at Well #2 on May 28, 2009. We are pleased to report that none of the contaminants shown in Table 1 were detected. For more information regarding the UCMR 2, please contact Gary Smith or Kyle Steele at the City Water Department, [PHONE REDACTED], or visit the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s website at www.epa.gov/ogwdw000/ucmr/ucmr2/index.html. Water Still Matters... Water System Sampling Results 4