Snow Removal

Public Works starts their preparation for snow removal in late fall. We stockpile salt year-round behind the Public Works facility. In the late fall, we start installing salt spreaders and snowplows for the early or unexpected snowfall or freeze-ups. Public Works provides snow removal and/or de-icing techniques throughout the entire duration of the event. The cleaning of the roadways happens in this order:

  1. All state or main roadways first. This includes Harlem Avenue, Des Plaines Avenue, 31st street, and 26th street. This operation happens with 4 trucks working together. This method is called a blitz technique which also creates a safer pathway for both, our vehicles and another motorist.
  2. Then the trucks break off in a 2 by 2 fashion and start cleaning side streets. While this plowing is taking place, we also have 4 pickup trucks out plowing alleys, dead-end roads, and off-street parking along with our Municipal lots.
  3. Once the streets are cleared of snow, we start to apply road salt to make sure we do not have freeze-ups. Salt is also applied on our first pass to break the bond of snow to the roadway to allow the plows to remove the snow down to the pavement. Salt is spread in an 8-foot path using the pitch of the road to drain the melted snow to the curb line also melting ice spots to the curb.
  4. Once the snow stops falling does not mean our job is completed. We then start going through town clearing snow where cars have moved. We also send out a tractor with a snow bucket to open the main walkways along Cermak Road, 26th street, and Des Plaines Avenue along with our new bike path and commons park to make certain our walkers too, have a safe passageway.

We ask all our residents to help with the following during and after a snow event:

  • Please keep your vehicles off the roadway allowing us to clear snow from curb to curb.
  • Do not place snow from your driveway back into the roadway.
  • If you have a fire hydrant in front of your home, please help keep a clear path to the hydrant for fire protection.
  • Please do not pass snow removal equipment as they don't always see you.