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Supervisors review 1984 snow-removal ordinance; consider extending evening operations
Summary
Carroll County supervisors discussed updating Ordinance No. 4, which currently says trucks "will not normally be in operation between the hours of 5PM and 5AM," and considered changing the end hour to 6 or 7 p.m. to address evening commuter safety; no ordinance change was made and any revision would require a public hearing.
The Carroll County Board of Supervisors discussed whether to update County Ordinance No. 4 (dated Dec. 31, 1984) that governs secondary roads snow-removal operations, focusing on the provision that truck-mounted snowplows and spreaders "will not normally be in operation between the hours of 5PM and 5AM."
Zach, the county engineer, told the board that the ordinance language is a reference and that crews already exercise discretion to stay out later when conditions warrant. "It's a reference number," Zach said. "We'll stick around later than 05:00 in certain situations." He explained operational considerations: routes take roughly two hours to complete, sanding takes less time than plowing, and wind-driven drifting can cause conditions to worsen overnight even after snowfall stops.
Supervisors and staff discussed constituent complaints about evening storms that began late in the afternoon and left commuters with hazardous roads around 5 to 6 p.m. One supervisor said many callers asked why crews did not stay later and suggested changing the ordinance to allow operations until 6 or 7 p.m. Statutory precedent from other counties was cited: among 99 counties reviewed, 34 operate after 5 p.m., 45 stop at 5 p.m. or sooner and 20 did not report.
Engineer's concerns included crew safety and fatigue on multi-day events: "If we extend past 12 hours, I think that's a safety concern for our employees," Zach said. Staff noted that part-time operators are sometimes used for night coverage on state routes and that extending operations will have budget and staffing implications.
No ordinance change was made at the meeting. Supervisors were advised that any change to the ordinance would require a public hearing and suggested further review and potential language adjustments during the county's ordinance review cycle (all county ordinances are under review and due back by September). The board directed staff to consult with the engineer (Chris Wieger was named as a contact) if they consider drafting revised verbiage for public hearing.
Ending: The board agreed to keep the issue under review and to pursue specific language changes only after staff and the engineer draft alternatives and after required public hearings.
