HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 05.aPositioned to Thrive
Public Works
October 2012
LAKEVILLE PUBLIC WORKS
Christopher Petree, Director
October 2012
❖ Snowplow Operator Training
Snow and ice removal is a very
important service provided by the City.
The Streets and Utilities Divisions along
with Parks Maintenance have over 30
plow operators out during each winter
storm, plowing in excess of 520 lane
miles of City streets, more than 450 cul-
de -sacs, and numerous parking lots, as
well as trails and sidewalks that
contribute to safe routes to schools.
Annual training helps keep staff up to
date on changes that have occurred to
roads and routes since last season. This
is also an opportunity to provide hands -
on training in the equipment and allow
operators to share their experience and
insights with others. This year
training occurred in two
phases. The first phase
refreshed staff to the use and
application of deicing
chemicals, factoring in
weather conditions, surface
temperature, and proper
spreader calibration to
optimize deicer use and
improve levels of service. The
second phase looked at the
nuts and bolts of Lakeville's
snow and ice control routes, changes in plowing techniques, tips on vehicle
operation, and basic procedures when encountering problems along the route.
Finally, staff had the opportunity to get out in the equipment for re- familiarization
and to learn how to use other pieces of equipment. Other training opportunities
have included both practical and classroom training on snowplow operation at
Dakota County Technical College and use of the MnDOT snowplow simulator.
Each of these opportunities offer an effective way to meet training needs and
improve operator skills to provide the best possible service to Lakeville residents
and businesses.
••• Winter No Parking
•
A reminder to residents, Lakeville's winter no parking
ordinance is in effect between November 1 and
April 1 each year. What this means is that no motor
vehicle, trailer, snowmobile, or seasonal vehicle shall
be parked on a City street between the hours of
2:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. or at any other time when the
forecast accumulation is for 2- inches or more of
snow. Having cars and other vehicles off the streets
during snow and ice removal greatly increases the
safety and efficiency of the operation.
❖ Clearing Sewer Blockages
An important aspect of
maintaining the City's
infrastructure is ensuring that
the sanitary sewer system
functions smoothly. To do
that, the Utilities Division
employs both a television
camera to seek out problems
and a variety of sewer cleaning
tools to remove them. One of
the problems commonly
encountered are roots
intruding into the sewer pipe.
These have the potential to
cause a backup. Primarily a problem at
the joints in clay pipes, those areas are
televised regularly and cleaned when
necessary. Typically, the sewer camera
finds the root problem and the Vactor,
with a special water - powered root saw,
NO
ON STREET
PARKING
2AM -6AM
NOV 1 -APR 1
iAAKEVILLE. EIRD 34A-3
❖ Fall Leaf Sweeping
goes in immediately to cut the roots out. The camera then follows up to make sure
that the pipe is clear and that there are no additional problems.
With the last of the leaves falling off the
trees and the fast approach of winter,
Streets Division staff has been out
clearing leaves from the curb lines of City
streets. This is extremely important at
this time of year to ensure that the leaves
do not end up clogging the storm sewer
system during the spring snow melt.
Without good flow to the storm sewers
as the snow melts, water could spread
across roads and refreeze overnight I,
causing very dangerous conditions for
motorists as well as requiring extra work
for staff to open up frozen storm sewers.
Led by a water truck to wet the roadway
to keep dust down and make the leaves
easier to pick up, two sweepers follow to
clean the roadway from centerline to
curb. Dump trucks stand by to take the
leaves from the sweepers to a local dump site.
Chainsaw Safety Training
October is typically the
transition month between
summer and winter activities.
As such, it provides
opportunities to catch up on
last minute repairs, the
switching of equipment to
winter operations, and for
training. Aside from snow and
ice removal, tree trimming is a
significant winter task and it is
important that staff receive
periodic training in the proper
use and operation of a
chainsaw. The Minnesota Department of Labor
and Industry makes this training
available throughout the state at no cost. The State's chainsaw expert spent two
days with Public Works and Parks Maintenance staff in reviewing all aspects of
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chainsaw safety, both in the classroom and in the field cutting down trees. His
presentation focused on being able to safely remove limbs and trees after a blow
down and taught staff techniques for safely felling trees of all types.
Sewer Lining Project
The sewer lining project along Jasper
Terrace is continuing with crews
installing the pipe liner. The liner is a
polyester felt material that is saturated
with a thermosetting resin. It is custom
designed for our pipe size and length
and transported to the site in
temperature controlled vehicles so that
the resin does not cure prematurely.
Crews install the liner by filling it with
water to make sure it expands fully to
line the pipe's interior. Once the liner is
in place, it is pressurized with 160° hot
water circulating through the liner to
cure it and keep it expanded against the
pipe's interior. After a 48 hour cure time,
the water is cooled to approximately 80°
and the liner is emptied and checked to
make sure there were no problems
during the curing process. The final step is to reopen the service laterals to restore
service to each of the homes. Once inserted, expanded, and cured, it forms a
smooth, continuous liner that adds to the structural integrity of the pipe.
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