A fast moving residential snow clearing operation is underway in town.

After unprecedented amounts of snow, many residential roads have become impassable, and now that priority one and two routes have been taken care of the town is shifting focus to priority three routes.

Jamie Greenshields, Transportation Manager for the Town of Okotoks, says clearing efforts in the residential areas will not result in snow removal activities, but rather involve strategically clearing snow and ice within the road right-of-way

"We are going into residential areas and scalping the surface of snow off the top," he explains. "We're not hauling it away because there's too much to haul away and not enough time to do it. It's a quick fast moving exercise where we're going into these areas, we can't even get cars out of the way because it is so fast moving."

Stockpiled snow will be put on Town property where possible. There may be instances when snow may be stockpiled on boulevards, yards or strategically left on the roadway.

Greenshields says the operation should not only help with access, but drainage as well as crews open up catch basins as well.

While crews endeavour to minimize windrows where possible, if one develops, it is the resident's responsibility to clear it.

"We like to remind residents the travel lane in front of their home is our main focus, we need to be able to get a fire truck or ambulance to your property."

Back lanes are being monitored as well, and will be scalped on a case by case basis.

Greenshields shares residents may want to take snow removal into their own hands, but reminds Okotokians it is illegal to privately contract snow removal on public property.

"There's a number of issues, the biggest is the liability side of things. If a Bobcat that's privately ran hits a fire hydrant, a car, or even a person, there's legal implications with that."

He shares the Town of Okotoks, along with hired contractors have been working around the clock to make roads more accessible.

"We've been contracting work out this entire winter. It hasn't stopped the Town Operations crews have been going around the clock seven days a week. We've enhanced our services now to include pathways on a seven day a week rotation so we have been contracting out all winter long."

While priority three routes are now the focus for crews, that will change if another snowfall occurs, resetting the operation as crews will begin work on priority one routes again.

Greenshields thanks residents for their continued patience with snow removal and clearing in Okotoks.

"It's been a long winter, and it continues to be a long winter. We really encourage patience to the public, it's been a trying time with the winter we've had. Plan accordingly, it might take you little bit longer to get where you got to go, but we really ask for patience from the community while we dig ourselves out."

He adds residents with any questions or complaints should call Operations at 403-938-4372 as every case is documented, and assessed.

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