Full Notification

The below information is for informational purposes. Following these procedures will assist the City of Geneva Public Works Department in making city streets safe for residentsa and visitors.

PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT
SNOW AND ICE CONTROL PROCEDURES

The Public Works Department's primary objective during the winter storm season is to perform snow and control operations on the City’s street system during adverse weather conditions. The City cannot guarantee the streets will be free of all snow and ice during the winter season. With your cooperation and assistance the Public Works crews will be able to maximize effectiveness of snow and ice operations.

When road conditions become hazardous and snow and ice control procedures are required, streets that are posted as "SNOW EMERGENCY ROUTES" are cleared of snow and ice first. These snow emergency routes are streets that have a high volume of traffic, higher speed limits. These streets are posted with red, white and blue "SNOW ROUTE" signs. Parking on all snow routes is prohibited when there is a snowfall of 2 inches or more.

Once snow emergency routes have been cleared of snow or ice, plows will then plow snow and ice from the secondary streets. Secondary streets include all alleys, cul-de-sacs and dead ends. Parking is prohibited on secondary streets when there is a snowfall of 3 inches or more.

During a major snowstorm, secondary streets will receive one pass each way to provide access for residents and emergency vehicles (firefighters, ambulance and police). This phase will continue until the snowfall has ended. When the snowfall has ended, all streets, cul-de-sacs, alleys and dead ends will be plowed of snow curb to curb or edge of pavement to edge of pavement.

When the amount of snowfall in less than 1.0 inches, and plowing operations are not necessary, salt will be lightly applied to snow emergency routes, schools, hills, curves and intersections that have stop signs. Due to limited available salt materials experienced last year and again forecast for this season, deicing applications must be modified to insure there is enough material to last through the entire winter season. Many communities last year used up their salt supplies mid season and were able to obtain minimal salt material for extremely high unit costs. These modifications will consist of lowering the application rates and minimizing salt applied to secondary streets, cul-de-sacs, alleys and dead ends. The City must manage our salt material supply to insure there is material to last through the entire winter season.

Contrary to some opinions that mixing sand with salt will extend volume of salt is false. Mixing sand with salt does not produce any benefit as sand is not a deicing agent, will produce damage to the storm water drainage system, bouncing off the pavement into the curb area or edge of pavement and will require extensive cleanup efforts in the spring.

PLEASE DRIVE WITH CAUTION AND ADJUST YOUR DRIVING BASED UPON THE CONDITIONS OF THE STREETS.

By complying with the following snow removal parking regulations and recommended guidelines, the City's snow and ice control crews can make your streets safer for travel during the winter season:

 A parking prohibition shall automatically go into effect on any posted SNOW EMERGENCY ROUTE" following an accumulation of snow and ice of 2 inches or more. VIOLATIONS ARE SUBJECT TO RECEIVING A $35.00 PARKING TICKET, AS WELL AS TO HAVING THEIR VEHICLES TOWED.

 Parking is prohibited on secondary streets at any time within 12 hours following a snowfall of 3 inches or more. VIOLATORS ARE SUBJECT TO RECEIVING $30.00 PARKING TICKETS AS WELL AS TO HAVING THEIR VEHICLES TOWED. Any street area that has become clear of snow and ice from curb to curb or edge of pavement to edge of pavement for the length of the entire block shall be excluded from this provision.

 Residents and contractors are prohibited from the deposition of any snow or ice from private property on or against a fire hydrant, or on any public sidewalk, public roadway, or loading or unloading areas of a public transportation system. Property owners should notify their snow removal contractors of this requirement and require compliance.

 In order to avoid damage to curbside mailboxes, the City has established an ordinance and specifications that conform to Federal and State Postal Service regulations for the installation of these mailboxes. A copy of the ordinance and the installation specifications are available at the Public Works Department located at 1800 South Street. If your mailbox is damaged and it conforms to the ordinance, City crews will attempt to make temporary repairs to ensure mail delivery until such time permanent repairs can be performed.

 Snow in front of curbside mailboxes is the responsibility of the homeowner to remove and to provide access to the mailbox for mail delivery. It is the City’s responsibility to remove the snow/ice from the City’s streets, providing safe traveling during a winter storm event. It is NOT the City’s responsibility to clear snow from in front of the curbside mailboxes.

 Damage to parkway grass and sod resulting from snow removal operations will be repaired in the spring when pulverized dirt is available. To help City crews to minimize plow damage, those residents that live in cul de sacs, on corners, and curvilinear streets without curbs, or have low back curbs, could place a reflector at or near the curbline.

 Temporary/portable or permanently installed basketball hoop systems should not be placed on the City’s right of way (parkway) or near the curb or edge of pavement. These items protrude into the path of snow removal equipment and may make contact with the snow removal equipment either causing damages to the snow removal equipment or to the basketball hoop system. The City strongly recommends that these systems be removed from the parkway prior to the beginning of the winter season. The City will not be responsible for any damage caused to these systems during snow removal operations.

 It is strongly recommended that when a winter storm has been forecast, all vehicles if possible should not be parked on the streets TO AVOID EMERGENCY PARKING RESTRICTIONS ON ALL CITY STREETS.


The City will continue to make announcements of snow emergency conditions, parking bans and procedures through the local Public Access channel on cable television. Program information/updates can be obtained on the City’s Website at http://www.geneva.il.us and at the Geneva Public Works Department at 232-1501.

With your assistance and cooperation, the City can deliver the highest level of snow and ice control service in a safe and quick manner for our community.