HomeMy WebLinkAbout20200508.tiffWELD COUNTY
CODE ORDINANCE 2020-03
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are, repealed and re-enacted, with amendments, and the various Chapters are revised to read as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.
CHAPTER 8
PUBLIC WORKS
ARTICLE I - Snow Policy
Amend Sec. 8-1-20. Snow watch plan.
A. — No change.
B. In order to ensure that sanding/plowing operations are initiated in a timely manner at other
than normal working hours, feedback regarding road conditions by Sheriff's Office Deputies
and any other agency, including the Colorado State Patrol, shall be sent to the Weld County
Regional Communications Center (WCRCC). The WCRCC shall then notify the scheduled
on -duty Snow Boss. The Snow Boss shall then initiate sanding/plowing operations as per
reports.
Amend Sec. 8-1-30. Snow removal priorities.
A. thru B.1.c. — No change.
2. Control of operations shall be exercised at the Public Works Department Operations
Center (PWDOC). Communications with regional supervisors and operators shall be
according to the following order of priority: 1) County Radio System; 2) cell phone; 3) CB
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radio. The Director of Public Works shall be in charge of snow removal operations and
shall staff the PWDOC as necessary to carry out operations efficiently. This authority shall
be delegated to the assigned Snow Bosses.
3. Any emergency calls for the Sheriffs Office, ambulance or helicopter services received at
the PWDOC shall be forwarded to the appropriate agency.
4. All incoming calls regarding snow removal or emergencies shall be routed to the PWDOC
(970-304-6496) from dispatch or in-house Public Works unless a specific person is
requested.
C. Operations.
1. The PWDOC shall be staffed as soon as determined necessary by the Director of Public
Works, the Snow Boss or the Commissioners. The Snow Boss shall assume charge
immediately by initiating recall, making 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, the Director of Public Works may contract for additional
resources in accordance with the provisions of Section 8-1-40 of this Code.
2. If weather information indicates that operations are anticipated in advance of the
approaching storm, the Director of Public Works shall direct specific operators to be at
work and ready to commence operations as soon as practical. 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 PWDOC. 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 in to the PWDOC, who shall attempt to obtain assistance for the stranded party.
The request for assistance shall be forwarded to the Regional Communications 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 description of the vehicle to the PWDOC. The PWDOC shall
contact the Regional Communications Center, informing the Dispatcher that a hazard
exists and the vehicle should be removed from the County right-of-way. Dispatch shall
contact the Weld County Sheriffs Office for appropriate action.
6. No school property or private roads or driveways off the County rights -of -way shall be
cleared by County equipment, with the following exceptions:
a. — No change.
b. If a citizen needs a private road or driveway opened for a medical or other emergency,
the citizen should call Emergency Services (911). Emergency Services will then
contact the PWDOC. The PWDOC will then contact the appropriate operator who shall
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meet the emergency vehicle at the site and open the road or driveway for the
emergency vehicle.
7. — No change.
8. Backup support shall be furnished by the Weld County Department of Fleet Services 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 Director of Fleet Services.
9. — No change.
D. Planning and preparation.
1. — No change.
2. Fuel stocks at outlying grader stations shall be monitored by the individual zone operators
immediately prior to a snow event and status reported to the Director of Fleet Services. If
a fuel delivery is necessary during a snow event, the Snow Boss may direct that the
delivery route be cleared on a priority basis.
Amend 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.
A. — No change.
B. Command and control. Control of contractor equipment shall be exercised through the
PWDOC. 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 may be paired with County equipment
to take advantage of County radio control.
Remainder of Section — No change.
Amend 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:
1. Level 3: 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. — No change.
3. Level 1: Snow removal efforts shall be ceased and equipment shall retreat to designated
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recovery stations located throughout the County for further instructions and redeployment
as conditions warrant. Level 1 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 predetermined priority snow routes. Notification of a Level 1 Condition or any
road closures shall be communicated to the Regional Communications Center and the
Public Works Emergency Notification List.
Remainder of ARTICLE I — No change.
Delete APPENDIX 8-A — SNOW REMOVAL, in its entirety.
BE IT FURTHER ORDAINED by the Board that the Clerk to the Board be, and hereby is,
directed to arrange for Municode 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.
The above and foregoing Ordinance Number 2020-03 was, on motion duly made and
seconded, adopted by the following vote on the 9th day of March, A.D., 2020.
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
WELD COUNTY, COLORADO
ATTEST:
Mike Freeman, Chair
Weld County Clerk to the Board
Steve Moreno, Pro-Tem
BY:
Deputy Clerk to the Board
VACANT
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
Scott K. James
County Attorney
Barbara Kirkmeyer
Date of signature:
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First Reading:
Publication:
January 20, 2020
January 29, 2020, in the Greeley Tribune
Second Reading: February 10, 2020
Publication: February 19, 2020, in the Greeley Tribune
Final Reading: March 9, 2020
Publication: March 18, 2020, in the Greeley Tribune
Effective: March 23, 2020
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