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12 - The Oakville Beaver, Friday February 15, 2008 www.oakvillebeaver.com Snow removal improvements would boost $3.7-M annual budget By David Lea OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF With yet another winter storm raging outside Town Hall Tuesday night, the timing could not have been better for Oakville's Community Services Committee to receive a report examining options for improved snow removal policies. In December the committee called on the Department of Roads and Works Operations to examine such topics as windrow removal and the possibility of creating a real time website that would provide interested residents information on street clearing. On Tuesday the Director of the Department of Roads and Works Operations Dan Cozzi was on hand to talk about the feasibility of implementing these service enhancements. "The issue of windrows has been discussed in detail. We're basing the information in this report on numbers we got from Vaughan and there are some challenges," said Cozzi. "We'd need about 35 pieces of equipment to follow the main plows. That's the way they do it in Vaughan. A second plow Allegro central vacuum Allegro central va systems systems Starting From $ 249 HOMES FROM 3,000 SQ. FT. OFFERING A FULL RANGE OF TOP QUALITY ACCESSORIES Buy Factory Direct with Substantial Savings Proudly Made In Oakville For Over 10 Years 1338 SPEERS ROAD, OAKVILLE 905.825.3995 www.allegrovacuums.com follows the main plow, it stops at every driveway, drops its gate and removes the plowed snow from the driveway." Cozzi found two problems with taking this route, which were the cost of purchasing 35 new pieces of equipment and finding a place to store them. Cozzi also put to rest rumours that windrow service could be implemented for around $25,000 a season. "I went to the same website (City of Vaughan website) and talked with their Roads and Works Department and they told us that they had nothing to do with those numbers and that those were perhaps provided by staff to show the cost per zone," he said. "I can assure you that the cost of their windrow program is over $1 million." Cozzi estimates bringing a windrow service to Oakville would cost a similar amount and would require an increase to the current total annual budget for winter maintenance of 30 per cent. The future of the Town's limited windrow program for seniors and the physically challenged is also uncertain as the pilot project is now in its third and final year. Cozzi said the program has not been exceedingly popular with an average of only 210 people using the service each year. The program will conclude at the end of this winter season and a recommendation will be made by staff in the spring concerning whether the service should be continued. On the subject of establishing a real time website on which residents could view the progress of street clearing, Cozzi noted that Roads and Works Operations has installed Global Positioning Systems (GPS) into 24 vehicles in its fleet, however, at present these are only being used to track hours worked by contractors and for vehicle logs. Cozzi estimates it will take about three years to have a real time website in place, as a number of issues need to be overcome, including making sure the Geographic Information System has up-to-date road network information, putting visually friendly features in place that show completed routes vs. noncompleted routes, and having the appropriate data processing server requirements and readily available technical support dedicated to the application on a 24/7 basis. Cozzi also responded to councillors who reported receiving hundreds of calls reporting poor snow removal service in recent weeks. Cozzi said that in many of those incidents the road had been plowed, twice in some instances, but the wet snow and freezing rain that had fallen made it impossible to remove all the snow and ice from the road's surface. "People believe that when the plow goes by the road is going to be bare. I can tell you that's not the case," he said. "Not when we have wet snow. It doesn't happen." Cozzi pointed out that the roads in the northern part of the town cause additional problems as they are so narrow there is nowhere for the snow to go. Having said that Cozzi admitted that roads do get missed from time to time and there had been problems with some of the contractors whom Roads and Works Operations hires to help deal with the heavy snowfalls. Despite also receiving complaints, Mayor Rob Burton stood by Cozzi, noting that he had also received a number of compliments about the snow removal service and as such cautioned the committee members about making radical changes to it. "I don't want us to hastily overreact to what has been after all a very unusual storm," he said. The current winter control budget is approximately $3.7 million, which Cozzi said may prove insufficient if the heavy snowfalls continue. The Town does maintain a winter control reserve fund to address potential shortfalls. & Free K9 4lb Oral Care With Purchase of any Science Diet K9 30 lb + Bag SPECTACULAR SAVINGS! DOG DOG DOG Science Diet K9 Adult Oral Care 30lb. SALE PRICE $ ($11.95 value) 46.99 REG. $51.99 Science Diet Feline 3.5lb Oral Care Feline Adult 3.5lb. SALE PRICE CAT Science Diet Feline 8.5lb Oral Care Feline Adult 8.5lb. SALE PRICE CAT Science Diet K9 Large Breed Puppy Large Breed, Adult Large Breed, Light Large Breed and Mature Adult Large Breed $ 9 .99 $ 23.99 REG. $27.99 $ REG. $12.99 40.99 - $46.99 REG. $45.99 - $51.99 ALL OFFERS ARE VALID FEBRUARY 15th TO 29th, WHILE SUPPLIES LAST. RETAILER RESERVES THE RIGHT TO LIMIT QUANTITIES. 4002 TRAFALGAR RD. 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