HomeMy WebLinkAbout20113073.tiff 4a7$/20//
WELD COUNTY
CODE ORDINANCE 2011-11
IN THE MATTER OF REPEALING AND REENACTING, WITH AMENDMENTS, CHAPTER 8
PUBLIC WORKS, OF THE WELD COUNTY CODE
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF THE COUNTY OF
WELD, STATE OF COLORADO:
WHEREAS, the Board of County Commissioners of the County of Weld, State of
Colorado, pursuant to Colorado statute and the Weld County Home Rule Charter, is vested with
the authority of administering the affairs of Weld County, Colorado, and
WHEREAS, the Board of County Commissioners, on December 28, 2000, adopted Weld
County Code Ordinance 2000-1, enacting a comprehensive Code for the County of Weld,
including the codification of all previously adopted ordinances of a general and permanent
nature enacted on or before said date of adoption, and
WHEREAS, the Weld County Code is in need of revision and clarification with regard to
procedures, terms, and requirements therein.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED by the Board of County Commissioners of the
County of Weld, State of Colorado, that certain existing Chapters of the Weld County Code be,
and hereby are, repealed and re-enacted, with amendments, and the various Chapters are
revised to read as follows.
Repeal and Re-enact in its entirety:
CHAPTER 8
PUBLIC WORKS
ARTICLE I
Snow Policy
Sec. 8-1-10. Purpose.
A. The principal objective of the Weld County Public Works Snow and Ice Control
Program is to provide for the safe and efficient flow of traffic within the County
during periods of inclement winter weather. Routes have been established and
priorities assigned which shall ensure that the minimum road network required for
operation of emergency vehicles shall be maintained at all times. Under all
circumstances emergency agencies and command elements of County
government shall be notified.
B. Flexibility remains the cornerstone of the plan. To be effective, priorities must be
reassessed periodically and routes altered to keep pace with changing
population centers and traffic volumes.
PAGE 1 2011-3073
ORD2011-11
C. Within this policy are sections which pertain to a "Snow Emergency." These
sections shall supersede any other conflicting sections.
Sec. 8-1-20. Snow watch plan.
A. During normal working hours, sanding and/or plowing operations may be initiated
by the Director of Public Works or the Operational Division Snow Boss.
B. At times other than normal working hours, the assistance of the Sheriffs Office
and any other agency (including the State Patrol) shall be necessary to ensure
that sanding/plowing operations are initiated in a timely manner. Feedback
regarding road conditions is usually sent to the Weld County Regional
Communications Center, which shall then notify the scheduled Snow Boss. The
Snow Boss shall dispatch Snow Patrol employees who shall report on road
conditions. A strategy shall be formulated to begin sanding and plowing
operations.
Sec. 8-1-30. Snow removal priorities.
A. Priorities: Roads shall be cleared in the following order of priority:
1. Emergencies involving human life and safety.
2. National Defense (Air Force Missile Site access roads).
3. Essential dairy and livestock access roads.
4. Main arterial roads.
5. School bus routes.
6. Mail delivery routes.
7. Remaining collector roads (including subdivisions and unincorporated
towns).
B. Command and Control.
1. Command and control shall be exercised through the following chain of
authority:
a. Board of County Commissioners.
b. Director of Public Works.
c. Snow Boss.
2. Control of operations shall be exercised at the snow operations office at
the Public Works Headquarters. Communications with regional
supervisors and operators shall be according to the following order of
PAGE 2 2011-3073
ORD2011-11
priority: 1) County Radio System; 2) cell phone; 3) CB radio. The
Director of Public Works shall be in charge of snow removal operations
and shall staff the operations office as necessary to carry out operations
efficiently. This authority shall be delegated to the assigned Snow
Bosses.
3. Any emergency calls for the Sheriff's Office, ambulance, or helicopter
services received at the Snow Desk shall be forwarded to the appropriate
agency.
4. All incoming calls regarding snow removal or emergencies shall be routed
to the Snow Desk (970-304-6496) from dispatch or in-house Public Works
unless a specific person is requested.
C. Operations.
1. The Snow Desk shall be staffed as soon as determined necessary by the
Director of Public Works or Snow Boss or the Commissioners. The Snow
Boss shall assume charge immediately by initiating recall, making radio
contact with all units in the field and determining their status, and shall
direct operations in accordance with the priorities established herein. If
additional resources are needed, calls shall be made.
2. If weather information indicates that operations are anticipated the day
before, the Director of Public Works shall direct specific operators to be at
work and ready to commence operations as soon as practical on the
following day. If more than two (2) days of continuous operations are
anticipated, no operator shall work more than (12) hours in a day without
approval of the Director of Public Works.
3. Status of all snow removal operations shall be maintained at the Snow
Desk. Reports shall be made to the Public Works Emergency Notification
Group intermittently throughout the snow event. These reports shall be
directed by the Director of Public Works or applicable Snow Boss.
4. Plow operators are directed that the first priority is to get roads cleared as
fast and safe as possible, emergencies excepted. Operators are
authorized and directed to stop and assist disabled vehicles only if it is
necessary to clear the road or if life or health is in danger. Requests for
assistance from stranded vehicles, not involving an emergency, shall be
radioed into the Snow Desk operator who shall attempt to obtain
assistance for the stranded party. The request for assistance shall be
forwarded to the Regional Dispatch Center for action, such as a request
for towing services.
5. If an abandoned vehicle is blocking the roadway, the operator shall radio
in the location, license plate number, and the description of the vehicle to
the Snow Desk. The Snow Desk shall contact the Regional Dispatch
Center informing them that a hazard exists and the vehicle should be
PAGE 3 2011-3073
ORD2011-11
removed from the County right-of-way. Dispatch shall contact the Weld
County Sheriff's Office for appropriate action.
6. No school property or private roads or driveways off the County
rights-of-ways shall be cleared by County equipment, with the following
exceptions:
a. If requested in writing, and approved in advance by a school
district, the County shall clear the entry.
b. If a citizen needs a private road or driveway opened for a medical
or other emergency, the citizen should call the Department of
Public Works Snow Desk. The Snow Desk shall log the call and
contact the appropriate emergency service. Snow Desk
personnel shall then contact the appropriate operator who shall
meet the emergency vehicle at the site and open the road or
driveway for the emergency vehicle.
7. Plow trucks shall primarily be used on paved roads and shall be assigned
routes or zones as dictated by the snow distribution within the County.
8. Backup support shall be furnished by the Weld County Shops Contractor
and all Public Works divisions to maintain and repair snow removal
equipment. Personnel from these divisions shall be on standby or on
duty, as directed by the Director of Public Works and the contract
administrator for the County Shops.
9. Nothing in this plan is intended to preclude an employee from acting and
using his or her best judgment in the absence of direction from a higher
authority.
D. Planning and preparation.
1. All supervisors of units providing snow removal are responsible for
ensuring that equipment is ready and personnel are briefed on their
duties. Prior to the first snow, each piece of equipment shall be inspected
with its plow and spreader to ensure readiness. All other equipment,
such as tire and tow chains, route maps, vehicle lights, etcetera, shall
also be inspected at this time.
2. Fuel stocks at grader sheds shall be monitored by the individual zone
operators and status reported as directed to the motorgrader supervisors.
If a fuel delivery is necessary, the maintenance supervisors may direct
the delivery route be cleared on a priority basis.
Sec. 8-1-40. Contracting for additional resources.
In cases of EXTREME EMERGENCY and where County resources cannot maintain safe
traveling conditions, it may be necessary to obtain additional equipment from Contractors.
PAGE 4 2011-3073
ORD2011-11
A. Authorization for contract.
1. Upon the recommendation of the Director of Public Works and approval
by the Board of County Commissioners or their authorized representative,
the Director of Public Works shall contact available contractors and obtain
the necessary contractor equipment and personnel to augment the
County workforce.
2. The Director of Public Works or authorized agent of the Board of County
Commissioners shall negotiate a fair and equitable equipment rate with
the contractors, but in no case shall it exceed the maximum rates set by
the most recent edition of the Colorado Department of Transportation,
Equipment Rental Rate Schedule.
B. Command and control. Control of contractor equipment shall be exercised
through the Snow Desk. The Director of Public Works or the on-duty Snow Boss
shall coordinate and control the efforts of all contractor equipment.
C. Operations.
1. County and contracted workforces shall be employed so as to maximize
the efficiency of the snow removal operation. Contracted equipment shall
be paired with County equipment to take advantage of County radio
control.
2. As soon as it is apparent that County forces can handle the remaining
snow removal on a timely basis, the Director of Public Works shall
terminate contractor operations.
3. The Director of Public Works shall ensure that accurate records are kept
on all contractor time and equipment in order to validate invoices
submitted for payment. If a contractor required fuel from County supplies,
the Director of Public Works shall ensure that proper accounting
procedures are followed.
4. Contractors shall submit invoices to the Department of Public Works for
validation of time and charges.
Sec. 8-1-50. Response plan for extreme snow and ice events.
The following policy sets in place criteria for managing snow removal efforts on the
County roadway network during extreme weather events.
A. Weather event definition. Snow events are categorized using a storm level scale
based on reports from the field as to the severity of conditions as well as other
methods, including forecasts, satellite images, and common sense. With the
vast expanse of Weld County, storm levels may vary depending on conditions in
that area. The levels of storms are defined below:
PAGE 5 2011-3073
ORD2011-11
1. Level 1: Snow Removal Operations shall focus on all roads. The effort
and resources expended shall vary depending on accumulation and
drifting conditions. The on-duty Snow Boss shall refer to direction
provided in prior sections of this Code.
2. Level 2: Snow Removal Operations shall focus on pre-determined priority
snow routes. Some roads may be closed and traffic re-routed so snow
removal vehicles can operate unimpeded by traffic. The on duty Snow
Boss shall refer to direction provided in prior sections of this Code.
3. Level 3: Snow removal efforts shall be ceased and equipment shall
retreat to designated recovery stations located throughout the County for
further instructions and redeployment as conditions warrant. Level 3 may
be declared by the on-duty Snow Boss with the concurrence of the
Director of Public Works, the Commissioner Coordinator, or Alternate
Commissioner Coordinator for Public Works. When redeployed,
resources shall be committed to pre-determined priority snow routes.
Notification of a Level 3 Condition or any road closures shall be
communicated to the Regional Dispatch Center and the Public Works
Emergency Notification List.
Sec. 8-1-60. No waiver of governmental immunity.
No term or condition set forth in this Article shall be construed or interpreted as a waiver,
express or implied, of any of the immunities, rights, benefits, protections or other provisions, of
the Colorado Governmental Immunity Act, Section 24-10-101, et seq., as applicable now or
hereafter amended. Furthermore, nothing set forth in this Article shall be construed as creating
a duty of care upon any individual or party.
BE IT FURTHER ORDAINED by the Board that the Clerk to the Board be, and hereby
is, directed to arrange for Colorado Code Publishing to supplement the Weld County Code with
the amendments contained herein, to coincide with chapters, articles, divisions, sections, and
subsections as they currently exist within said Code; and to resolve any inconsistencies
regarding capitalization, grammar, and numbering or placement of chapters, articles, divisions,
sections, and subsections in said Code.
BE IT FURTHER ORDAINED by the Board if any section, subsection, paragraph,
sentence, clause, or phrase of this Ordinance is for any reason held or decided to be
unconstitutional, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions hereof. The
Board of County Commissioners hereby declares that it would have enacted this Ordinance in
each and every section, subsection, paragraph, sentence, clause, and phrase thereof
irrespective of the fact that any one or more sections, subsections, paragraphs, sentences,
clauses, or phrases might be declared to be unconstitutional or invalid.
PAGE 6 2011-3073
ORD2011-11
The above and foregoing Ordinance Number 2011-11was, on motion duly made and
seconded, adopted by the following vote on the 28th day of December, A.D., 2011.
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
WELD COUNTY, COLORADO
ATTEST:
Barbara Kirkmeyer, Chair
Weld County Clerk to the Board
Sean P. Conway, Pro-Tem
BY:
Deputy Clerk to the Board
William F. Garcia
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
David E. Long
County Attorney
Douglas Rademacher
First Reading: November 14, 2011
Publication: November 23, 2011, in the Fort Lupton Press
Second Reading: December 5, 2011
Publication: December 14, 2011, in the Fort Lupton Press
Final Reading: December 28, 2011
Publication: January 4, 2012, in the Fort Lupton Press
Effective: January 9, 2012
PAGE 7 2011-3073
ORD2011-11
Hello