RM OF COTE — In time for the arrival of the expected snow cover, the RM of Cote is eager to advise its ratepayers of policies regarding cold weather, winter road maintenance and snow plowing and towing which have been enacted this year.
On April 13, council passed a resolution regarding cold weather policy that says that if the temperature is -35°C, with or without a windchill, the employees and equipment will not go out onto the roads unless there is a council-deemed emergency.
If blowing snow is causing vision issues, the operators will use their discretion as to whether to go out or return to the shop for the day, the resolution states. “In extreme weather conditions, the safety of our employees, and the running condition of our equipment, come first.
“For safety concerns of our employees, equipment and the general public, the operators will not be out late into the evenings on municipal roads during the winter season, unless it is a council-deemed emergency."
On July 13, council passed its winter road maintenance and snow plowing policy, which states that every permanent farm residence will have one snowplowed municipal road allowance provided by the municipality.
This means that every permanent residence will have access out, explained Sherry Guenther, administrator. Some residences may have two road allowances available and if one road does not need to be open, it wouldn’t be.
Clearing of school bus routes in the RM will be first priority unless schools are closed or buses are not running due to weather conditions, the resolution said. The Good Spirit School Division submits a bus route map to the municipal office at the start of each school year.
The second priority for snow clearing is main all-weather roads, while resident ratepayer roads cleared with municipal equipment is the third priority.
“It is important to note that some seasonal roads may not be maintained during the winter months,” it said. This will be at council’s discretion.
The RM will not plow trails, it said. If a municipal road allowance is not cleared by the municipality, no one is to take on the responsibility of clearing and maintaining it.
Custom work will be the last priority for equipment operators, it said. Ratepayers shall contact the office beforehand to fill out the custom work form before any custom work will be completed.
Private lanes/driveways may be plowed; however, residential yards will no longer be plowed.
Yearly custom work rates are set at the January meeting of council. Custom work will be invoiced to the individual requesting the work. Invoices will be sent at the end of the winter season. If invoices are not paid by year end, the amount will be added to the tax roll as permitted in The Municipalities Act.
“If you do not own property in the RM and your account remains unpaid at year end, your service will be discontinued.”
If a ratepayer contacts the office or a council member and states that a road is blocked with drifts or a plow has not been that way and the operator/patrol makes a special trip to that area only to find the road is accessible, that individual will be invoiced custom work rates from where the operator was to that destination, the resolution states.
On June 15, council enacted its towing policy, which says that the RM will not provide towing services by the municipal operators and equipment.
