SUNDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2007

Snow Removal Procedures

I thought it might be a good idea to remind all residents (those of you who have been here beyond one winter season and those of you new to the area) of Montrêux’s snow removal procedures. Snow removal crews are alerted by security officers once the depth of snow reaches two inches at the gatehouse.

The contractor for snow removal services has six pieces of equipment, which include a road grader, a larger loader with a snowplow blade, a smaller backhoe with a blade, two snow blowers and a sander. The crews begin the removal process at the gatehouse and continue down Bordeaux Drive. They then proceed to the Lausanne/Lake Geneva loop, which generally accumulates the highest snow depth. At the same time, one blower machine is assigned to the Cottages. Once passes have been made on these streets, the crews continue on all other side streets and cul de sacs. The process is time-consuming, so please exercise patience; the crews strive to get all streets adequately cleaned as soon as possible.

Once this is done, the crews will continue with cleanup assuming there is no continued snowfall. The cleanup consists of berms in front of driveways, which is unavoidable during the initial removal, as well as clearing paths to all mailboxes so that delivery of mail can be accomplished. Please remember that the snow removal process is not an exact science. The speed of the removal depends on the type and depth of snow (e.g., a heavy wet snow is much more difficult to plow than a light dry snow). Equipment breakdowns also slow the process.

You as an individual resident can help the process move more smoothly by not removing snow that has accumulated in your driveway and depositing it in the street. The snow condenses into hard piles and can be hazardous to the operator and also cause damage to machinery. The crews are on call 24/7 throughout the winter months. Being prepared for poor conditions is always a good idea. Once the streets are cleared of snow or when there is just a light snowfall, a sander vehicle is dispatched to spread sand in problem areas, especially at intersections.

It’s important to note that Montrêux strictly uses sand. No melting agents are added, as they can be damaging to plant life and surrounding water sources. Therefore, it takes a little longer for the sand to have the desired effect. Its main purpose is to help with traction control. The security office is responsible for road updates within Montrêux. These updates can be accessed by going to the homeowner’s Web site at www.mtxhoa.com. I hope you find this information useful.

Thank you,
Mike Joseph

Posted by: Nino