Ramsey Resident - 2016 - March/April

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Ramsey Street Sweeping Street sweeping is one of the core services of the City of Ramsey Public Works Department. City-wide sweeping is performed spring and fall. Spring sweeping is the most critical because of the ice control sand spread over the winter. If the sand is not swept up before spring rains start, it washes into our natural waterways and eventually damages that environ- ment. Part of our annual road maintenance program includes seal coating road surfaces. Seal coating helps prevent water infiltra- tion into the road bed and provides traction to road surfaces that may have been polished by traffic. Oil is sprayed on the road surface and crushed rock is applied. Any loose rock left on the roadway is initially swept up by the contractor within 72 hours of application and re -swept within 2 weeks. Even after two sweepings, rock will continue to loosen up due to traffic, especially in areas with lots of turning movements such as intersections and cul-de-sacs. City crews will re -sweep these areas twice more before plowing season. As you can imagine, snow plowing loosens up any additional rock that hasn't set properly. Some loose rock still appears in the spring, but it's greatly reduced. Fall sweeping is done to pick up dead leaves and any other loose material that may have accumulated on the roadway over the summer. If you have any questions about sweeping or any oth- er maintenance concerns, please contact the Public Works Superintendent, Grant Riemer at 763-433-9863 or griemer@ cityoframsey.com. Help Keep Fire Hydrants Accessible This winter, please help us keep snow away from fire hydrants. Snow piled or shoveled close to hydrants restricts operation during a fire emer- gency. After a snowfall, the Public Works Department is re- sponsible for clearing snow from City streets. Depending on the amount and type of snow, snow removal can take several days. We request your help in keeping fire hydrants accessible. Please clear a four -foot circle around the hydrant near your home to ensure easy access for our Fire Department. If you have any questions or comments, please contact John Nelson, Ramsey Fire Department at 763-427-8254. Snowplowing The winter season is here and we all know what that means — snowplowing! You can find more information on the "How Do I . . ." section of the City's website at wwwcity- oframsey.com, including the City Policy on Snow Removal, Ice Control, Mailbox Replacement Policy and Boulevard Staking. The City of Ramsey also has an after hours snow- plow information line at 763-433-9852, which is up- dated and monitored during the snowplow season. During regular business hours you can contact the Public Works Department directly at 763-433-9820. City staffwould also like to remind you to keep garbage cans and recycling containers out of the road. Please place them in the driveway or behind the curb. This allows snowplow drivers to plow curb -to -curb and lessens the chance of tipping over your containers. Do Not Push or Dump Snow or Ice Onto the Roadway As Old Man Winter tightens his hold on Ram- sey, there's an increasing temptation to push drive- way snow and ice into the street. Unfortunately, this is very hazardous to other residents walking or driving on our streets. City Code prohibits the deposit of items, including snow and ice, in the right-of-way. In an effort to enforce this, Ramsey officers will issue a citation to homeowners if they see snow deposited onto the roadway. Violators will be charged with a misdemeanor for a second offense having a mini- mum fine of $400.00. Help us keep our streets safe for everyone. For more information on where to put snow or ice, please contact Mary Jo Warner at 763-433-9820 or email mwarner@cityoframsey.com. Ramsey Resident • March/April 2016