Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Works topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Gaithersburg public works reviews January snowstorm; staff to propose clearer sidewalk rules and ADA timing
Summary
Public Works reported lessons from the Jan. 24 snowstorm—65 employees and 40 pieces of equipment, 9.3" of snow before sleet—and told council it will seek a code amendment clarifying sidewalk‑clearing responsibilities, minimum ADA widths and possible longer timelines for large storms.
Public Works Director Brian Field and Operations Division Chief Mark Scapiti delivered a post‑storm review to the Gaithersburg mayor and council on March 2, 2026, laying out operational lessons from the Jan. 24 storm and flagging proposed code changes to clarify sidewalk‑clearing responsibilities and ADA requirements.
Field and Scapiti said the city typically deploys about 65 employees and 40 pieces of equipment for snow removal; a single pass to plow all city streets takes about 10–14 hours. The storm brought 9.3 inches of snow before several hours of sleet and prolonged cold. Staff said plowing strategy included pre‑treating roads with salt brine, waiting for roughly 4 inches of accumulation before starting plow passes to avoid hard‑pack, and switching to treated (magnesium‑chloride) salt when single‑ingredient salt became ineffective in very low temperatures.
The presentation listed challenges: initial passes on some streets did not achieve full curb‑to‑curb clearance; parked vehicles and narrow parking areas limited plow effectiveness; sidewalks and curb ramps are currently the responsibility of property owners under city practice; and some private contractors or homeowners associations (HOAs) failed to clear private ways or were slow to respond. Staff said they are working with the city attorney to draft an ordinance that would: define property owner responsibilities for sidewalks and ramps, set a minimum ADA‑compliant clear width, and reconsider the current 12‑hour code timing for sidewalk clearing after a storm. The draft will return to council for detailed discussion.
Council members repeatedly praised crews for speedy street clearing compared with neighboring jurisdictions, but pressed staff on follow‑up items including: (1) clarifying when the city would declare a snow emergency and whether different timelines should apply; (2) how the city tracks contractor performance (contractors sometimes "ghost" jurisdictions during intense regional demand); (3) environmental tradeoffs from alternative deicers such as magnesium‑chloride; (4) whether the city should adjust shift lengths to protect staff health (12‑hour shifts were used during the storm; staff said they will consider moving to eight‑hour rotations); and (5) better interagency coordination with Montgomery County and state highway authorities to address resident expectations when county/state roads remain uncleared.
Field and Scapiti identified additional potential improvements: enhanced pre‑storm communications with HOAs and residents, posting resources for residents who cannot shovel, updates to snow‑emergency route maps, and more precise mapping of where trucks actually plow versus simply drive. The council asked staff to follow up with a formal report and proposed ordinance language for future consideration.
