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Dear Homeowners,
The Board of Directors would like to share with you the following announcement/details posted on the Ada County Highway Department (ACHD) website. This announcement concerns snow removal and maintenance of public streets. Please note ACHD flood prevention recommendations highlighted below in yellow.
Quote u2013
ACHD Plowing Neighborhoods, Preparing for Potential Flooding
Having cleared most major roads and high-priority areas, ACHD crews anticipate completing the plowing of the majority of neighborhood streets by noon on Sunday.
At the same time, the District is working other local governments to prepare for potential flooding from melting snow and possible snow/rain over the weekend. (Please see details below.)
That plowing estimate assumes Ada County avoids a major storm this weekend, which is the current weather forecast. The National Weather Service in Boise anticipates a slow melt off through the weekend, despite the likelihood of up to three inches of new snow by Sunday morning.
As of noon Friday, ACHD reports the following progress with snow removal following the record-setting, 30-year storm event that left 15 inches of snow on the ground:
- ACHD has nearly completed plowing of arterial (big) roads, collectors (mid-sized), major intersections, overpasses and bridges, hills and the areas around hospitals, schools, fire stations and railroad crossings. Still to be done: center turn lanes, and right- and left-hand turn pockets. Overall progress estimate: 95 percent.
- Plowing of school routes is 95 percent complete.
- Residential area plowing is estimated at 55 percent complete. The goal is one plow pass down the center of most streets. One major exception: cul-de-sacs are not being cleared because ACHDu2019s plows are too big for the dead-end streets. Depending on the amount of new snow fall, ACHD anticipates clearing the majority of residential streets by Sunday afternoon. Plowing will recover sidewalks and driveways, and ACHD apologizes for the unavoidable inconvenience.
ACHD has run its entire snow response fleet round-the-clock since Tuesday evening, fielding:
- 37 plow trucks
- 5 road graders (bigger plows)
- 14 anti-icing units
- 2 front-end loaders
- 12 road graders from construction contractors
- Additionally, Boise City has provided three plow pickups to assist ACHD crews, and the City of Kuna is clearing downtown streets with two backhoes and a small loader.
- The City of Meridian and Boise are clearing sidewalks, and looking to clear storm drains.
- The Idaho Transportation Department is assisting in snow removal at the intersections of local roads and state highways u2013 Chinden Boulevard, Glenwood Street, etc.
ACHD has issued 21, no-charge permits to contractors hired by neighborhoods to clear streets in advance of the Districtu2019s plowing.
Flooding concerns: Looking ahead, the warmer temperatures expected this weekend and new snow/rain have raised concerns about potential flooding.
The District is working with Boise, Meridian, Garden City, Ada County, Ada County Emergency Management and Idaho National Guard to prepare for flooding. Given the predicted slow melt and small precipitation, the expectation is spot flooding issues instead of widespread inundation.
ACHD has five vacuum trucks to suck up puddles and ponds, 37 plows to open snow berms, backhoes to dig out clogged drains and 17 vacuum sweepers, which can be used to suck up water. Boise, Meridian are Garden City have pledged five vacuum trucks u2013 two, two and one u2013 respectively, if flooding exceeds the prediction.
The Districtu2019s priorities for addressing problems will be:
- Safety issues
- Property protection
- Nuisance water u2013 ponding that doesnu2019t threaten lives or property
The public also has a role to play in the prevention of flooding, as ACHD asks for help in clearing blocked storm drains. The District has released a u201cmapu201d of drain locations. During the past week, many residents have shoveled snow into streets, blocking gutters and drains, and ACHD’s plowing has also covered many of these inlets. Those drainage systems will only work if thereu2019s a clear path for the water to flow.
http://achd.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=0aa46ef8164f4f0b8de46cee9aadc6b5
u201cHelp us help you,u201d said Tim Morgan, ACHD Deputy Director of Maintenance. u201cA little more shovel work can keep your property dry and help the overall effort.
u201cAnd please donu2019t shovel into the street,u201d he continued. u201cWe have a lot of stored water to drain and we want it to flow freely to avoid problems.u201d
End Quote u2013
The Board encourages you to stay abreast of the most current weather forecast on TV & Radio and how the changing weather patterns will impact our community. Special attention should be given to ACHDu2019s request that residents clear snow and ice from the street grates and drains adjacent to their properties along and in street gutters.
Furthermore, since ACHD has not plowed our smaller streets (cul-de-sacs, etc.) the Board is exploring options to hire a snow removal company to perform this service. However, due to high demand in the Boise area, there are few contractors currently available to take on the project. Should we be able to procure this service, timing to have the maintenance performed will be subject to street conditions and the weather forecast over the next few days.
If you have any questions or need further information or details concerning this matter, please contact Brenda Hines, our DSI Association Manager at (208) 939-6000 or brenda@dev-services.com.
Thank you.
Board of Directors
Banbury Meadows HOA