With the onset of winter and snow, the Watertown Department of Public Works would like to remind everyone of town policies and ordinances. The first, and most important, is the winter parking ban. No vehicle owner or operator is permitted to park on any street in the town between December 1 and April 1 from 12:00 midnight to 7:00 a.m. Ordinance violators can be fined and towed. The Police Department can issue exemptions for this rule for hardship cases. In addition, vehicles may not be parked on the street during declared snow emergencies.

The town mailbox replacement policy provides for the replacement or reinstallation of properly installed mailboxes that are hit directly by a municipal snowplow or vehicle. Mailbox replacement costs are limited to $40.00. Diagrams showing proper mailbox locations and installation are available from the Public Works office. The town does not reimburse or replace mailboxes that are damaged by snow or ice thrown off of plows. Plastic mailboxes and posts will become brittle and break easily in frigid weather; therefore, they are not approved for use and will not be replaced. Damage to trees, shrubbery and other landscaping will not be considered for compensation. Damage to personal vehicles will be considered only if they are legally parked and only if hit directly by a municipal snow plow or vehicle.

The owner or occupant of any premises that has a sidewalk or fire hydrant in front of it is responsible for clearing the sidewalk or fire hydrant within 24 hours after the precipitation ends. If possible, hydrants should be cleared 5 feet on each side to give the Fire Department quickest and best access. Snow, ice, leaves, etc… that is removed may not be blown or left on the road or sidewalk as this can create a safety hazard. Leaves and grass can also cause flooding by clogging basins and can degrade water quality as well as helping spring and summer algae blooms. Violators are subject to fines from the Police Department. The Parks Department is responsible for snow removal on municipally maintained sidewalks.

Roadway snow removal responsibility is given to the Highway Division.  Over 1300 tons of salt and 4,000 cubic yards of sand are used annually on town roads and parking lots.  Calcium chloride is also used in some applications, depending upon the pavement temperature and condition. The town is broken up into 15 plow routes averaging about 9 miles each. It takes approximately 3 hours to make a complete round of each route, including intersections and reloading materials and another five to six hours to clear the roads from curb to curb and at intersections after the snow stops. During snow plow operations, a berm may be left in front of the driveway, which is the responsibility of the resident to clear. This is unavoidable. Unfortunately, the necessity to push the snow back to the shoulders of the roads after the storm is over does create additional berms to be removed by the resident, so please bear this in mind when clearing driveways and walks. The roads need to be cleared from curb to curb to make room for accumulations from subsequent storms, and to open up the catch basins to prevent icing.  Otherwise, the travel lanes will become dangerously narrow. Property owners may want to consider this when determining when to clear the end of their driveways. The priority for snow plowing is to do the major roads, arterials and collectors, as well as school bus routes first, as this provides the greatest benefits for the most residents. Low volume residential roads are next. Complete clearing of cul-de-sacs is a last priority. The town may make special plow trips for legitimate emergencies (i.e. threat to life, health or property). Otherwise you should be flexible with regards to appointments.

Please caution your children not to play in the streets, or in or around snow berms as this is very dangerous. Drivers may not be able to see them or stop in time to avoid hitting them. Snow plows make frequent stops and backup maneuvers. Do not get too close behind the truck and always place your vehicle where you can see the driver’s rear view mirror as there is a large blind spot directly behind the truck.

The Watertown Department of Public Works is pleased to announce that limited amounts of a sand/salt mixture are available for use by Watertown residents on their residential properties.  This material is intended for residential use by homeowners only.  Residents are requested to limit themselves to two 5-gallon buckets at a time while supplies last, at the following locations:

Watertown Senior Center, Falls Avenue, Oakville

Watertown Maintenance Facility, Thomaston Road (Route 6), Watertown

Mosgrove Field Parking Lot, Davis Street, Oakville adjacent to the Oakville Library

Outside of Watertown Highway Garage, 91 Burton Street, Watertown

  The Department would also like to remind everyone that our roads are for vehicles and other traffic.  Installation of basketball hoops and other recreational devices on the roads is dangerous for both the children and the traveling public.  Roadside hoops can also cause hundreds of dollars worth of damage to snowplow trucks.  Another item of concern is placing garbage cans or recycling bins where they can be hit or covered by snowplows.  They should be at least 3 feet off of the road.

If you have any questions regarding these matters, please feel free to contact the Public Works Department at (860) 945-5240. With everyone’s cooperation, patience and assistance, we will all be able to safely and efficiently handle this year’s onslaught of snow and ice. Have a happy and healthy winter season!!!!!