Fighting the (Snow) Flakes

Snowflakes have been making a regular appearance in Plymouth for the past week now, and it's only a matter of time before there are enough on the roads to really make a mess -- and cause danger.

Luckily, that's when Plymouth's Department of Municipal Services springs into action, getting its small fleet of snow plows and salt trucks out and running while most residents are still sleeping.

"We have a very aggressive snow removal system," said Plymouth City Manager Paul Sincock. "We make sure we plow all streets when it snows four inches or more, and residents are expected to clear their sidewalks within 24 hours of a heavy snowfall."

City ordinance states that if residents do not clear their own sidewalks within the allotted time, the city will do it for you -- but it will cost you a $185 fine.

Plymouth Township has a similar ordinance, which requires people to clear sidewalks and clear snow from around fire hydrants.

The township ordinance clerk couldn't be reached to provide the amount of the fine.

Plymouth Township's major roads are cleared by Wayne County, not the the local municipality.

Because of the size of the county, it prioritizes clearing major roads and highways first, and then minor roads and side streets.

Plymouth Township does act as a liasion for the county's road crew, and can be contacted in case of concerns.

The city of Plymouth handles its own snow removal through municipal services.

Chris Porman, assistant director of the department, said the first thing the city does after a major snowfall is take care of major streets, such as Ann Arbor Trail, Main Street, Penniman and Starkweather, with a salt truck and then a plow.

When there is a snowfall of four inches or more, the city manager will declare a snow emergency and ask people to get their cars off the streets.

Porman and his crew are out at 4 a.m. to start clearing the streets. Their goal is to get everything clear by 8 or 9 a.m.

"We want residents to have a clear route to get to work or wherever they're going," he said.

In recent history, Porman remembers 2008 as being one of the heavier years. The crew had to plow 10 times.

2009 and 2010 have been lighter years.

"We've only used the plow three times in 2010 -- so far," Porman said.

The trucks were taken out for the first time this winter last Friday, when there were snow flurries and icy roads.

"We pride ourselves on people wanting to drive through Plymouth because the roads are clear," Porman said. "It's nice to get phone call complimenting us on our work, and we do get them."