Township snowplowing

[maxxum 140]

So I am a supervisor on our township board and we have been getting quite a bit of snow lately.   Now the snowplow is unable to keep up with plowing so he locals are getting impatient  and opening the roads themselves, and are wanting to be compensated.  What is a fair price to pay these people or should no compensation be given.  This is my first year on the board.

[lotsaIHCs]

Our township roads are cleared by the county. The county dosen't like it when we punch through the snow to get out. But they also understand that some of us have ot get to work before they make it to all of the roads so they don't make a big deal about it. But they will NEVER pay us for it. The show is harder to move once it's been pushed into a pile once. I guess I can see where it makes their job a little harder if we dig ourselves out. But sometimes there's no choice...Then also, who is responsible in the case of an accident due to private equipment on the road or improper snow removal practices? That's part of the reason they don't want Joe Blow out there doing it. I'll still make a hole through the snow to get out if I have to though.

 

[lotsaIHCs]

Just now, lotsaIHCs said:

Our township roads are cleared by the county. The county dosen't like it when we punch through the snow to get out. But they also understand that some of us have ot get to work before they make it to all of the roads so they don't make a big deal about it. But they will NEVER pay us for it. The show is harder to move once it's been pushed into a pile once. I guess I can see where it makes their job a little harder if we dig ourselves out. But sometimes there's no choice...

 

P.s

My wife is township treasurer and she has never written a check to a farmer or landowner for snow removal. They do, however,  hire people to clear snow when it gets too bad. But they won't pay you if you just take it upon yourself without a prior agreement.

[Lars (midessa)]

No compensation. Unless you desire to ‘open pendora’s box’. You pay(or credit) for snow removal, next they’ll demand the same for mowing ditch’s, filling in potholes, etc.

[bitty]

2 hours ago, lotsaIHCs said:

P.s

My wife is township treasurer and she has never written a check to a farmer or landowner for snow removal. They do, however,  hire people to clear snow when it gets too bad. But they won't pay you if you just take it upon yourself without a prior agreement.

X2 around here. 

Blizzard of 93 they paid the local sawmill by the hour for them running their cat 966 B to open the (state) main road. Other than any emergency type of snows I haven't heard anything about anyone who got money for plowing. We are on a state (un)maintained road. If there is any volume of snow the state trucks are 24+ hours until they get to it the first time.

We bought an old 11' township plow and mounted it on the AC 8050 in 97, made new mount for it in 99 to put on our first 8950 Magnum. We currently have 3 different ex-state type 11' plows . State employees have complained about the fact that I plowed the road and it was cutting into their overtime. I told them that they can have the overtime if they get there in time. I always plowed two passed both ways and it's opened wider than the state does it. The amount they plow it's drifted shut in as little as an hour or less. 

[yellowrosefarm]

It's technically illegal to plow snow off the roads here as a private person.  The state or it's contractors usually don't get to my road for 2-3 days. The worst was in 2010 when it was 11 days before the first plow came down after a 33" snowfall.

[maxxum 140]

This is what we have told people.  I went to a meeting and they said if the person wants or feels the need to blow their road open and then wants compensation, they need to carry their own  liability insurance.  They are considered a private contractor at this point and are responsible for any accidents or damage that may occur from them moving the snow.

[bitty]

41 minutes ago, yellowrosefarm said:

It's technically illegal to plow snow off the roads here as a private person.  The state or it's contractors usually don't get to my road for 2-3 days. The worst was in 2010 when it was 11 days before the first plow came down after a 33" snowfall.

 

15 minutes ago, maxxum 140 said:

This is what we have told people.  I went to a meeting and they said if the person wants or feels the need to blow their road open and then wants compensation, they need to carry their own  liability insurance.  They are considered a private contractor at this point and are responsible for any accidents or damage that may occur from them moving the snow.

I can believe that it is technically not allowed. I would like to see how many calls the state got this year as we sold the cows and haven't plowed like we used to. I would usually plow 100 yards past our one farm that most of the help lived at. The reason I went past was there is a daycare there and it wasn't nice to see the cars stuck in the last stretch of road to the daycare. I'm sure the state got more calls this year than the last 20 combined 

[1958560]

Our policy in my township is that we have no obligation to pay any private individual unless the supervisors asked for a service. My cows are a mile from home, so I open the road with a snowblower to get them fed. Neighbor by my cows blows road open to state hwy so his wife can get to work. Our township is like most, not enough revenue to cover road maintenance and plowing. 50 years ago the taxes could support building a road, now we always run out of money before we run out of roads to gravel. We have one neighbor that thinks road should be plowed immediately after the last flake falls. Does no good until the wind slows down, but he always needs fuel, corn or hay grinder right away after storm. Save your money and tell them that's just part of country living!

 

[from H to 80]

Years ago ,when our area was more rural, we kept the road open as well as the neighbors driveways with a front mounted blade on the 856. Back then the county appreciated the help and would give me a new set of cutting edges occasionally. with the cidiots on the roads today no way i would even attempt it.

[Captian Kirk]

I move the snow here on my public road ahead of when the plow shows up. I want it done, so I do it. They don't pay unless your contracted to do it.

I also mow my ditch instead of waiting for them to mow. They don't pay me for that either.

I've even gone as far as fixing a small pothole in front of my driveway.  That was my dime also instead of waiting for them to fix it.

[hardtail]

Not the same as rural but cities buy enough equipment to handle a normal year and have a list of contractors to bring on when conditions exceed their ability

[Drysleeves]

No payment unless supervisor or road commissioner hires the outside contractor prior to the work. Unauthorized ex post facto is all on the guy doing the plowing, including incurred liabilities.

[Dirt_Floor_Poor]

We have cleared our roads many times to feed animals. There’s no way our county would pay us. In bad weather it is sometimes a week before the county comes through. I have found people stranded in cars before in places they should have never been. When my neighbor was going through cancer treatments before he died we would keep the road open so his wife could get out. 

[Drysleeves]

1 hour ago, Dirt_Floor_Poor said:

We have cleared our roads many times to feed animals. There’s no way our county would pay us. In bad weather it is sometimes a week before the county comes through. I have found people stranded in cars before in places they should have never been. When my neighbor was going through cancer treatments before he died we would keep the road open so his wife could get out. 

Plowed township roads numerous times for reasons of need following a blizzard. Never asked for nor expected any compensation.

[int 504]

No pay here unless hired by road commissioner. All hires must show proof of liability and workmens comp insurance. I used to have arrangement with local contractor where I would open up whole road and he would wing back later but he was a friend and I used to work for him plowing and sanding. Would not be possible now.

[Absent Minded Farmer]

10 hours ago, maxxum 140 said:

So I am a supervisor on our township board and we have been getting quite a bit of snow lately.   Now the snowplow is unable to keep up with plowing so he locals are getting impatient  and opening the roads themselves, and are wanting to be compensated.  What is a fair price to pay these people or should no compensation be given.  This is my first year on the board.

Isn't that like paying yourself to shovel out your own driveway? Pffffffff! Forget it. Their self sought freedom is their payment.

Mike

[maxxum 140]

My thoughts exactly

[ChrisNY]

It is hard for me to fathom what you guys in other states deal with for snow removal. We just take it for granted here. By 530am the roads are plowed and plows run non stop from the first flake until roads are bare and dry. Even in rural towns most plow routes are no longer than 3 hours. State roads are about half an hour or less. Of course we pay for it being the highest taxed state in the US. 

[sandhiller]

This year has been one for the books. 

I plow from the place to the county road and wait for them to come by. 

It is twelve miles to town and has taken up to 5 days. 

The county has hired equipment and the people to run them when they were overwhelmed. 

I have widened my stretch of County road to help keep from drifting back in.

Never considered compensation, it is part of the price I gladly pay for living out here. 

Most of the ranches have big tractors with dozer blades and I am starting to see big snow blowers showing up. 

We all work together. 

 

 

[Binderoid]

Sell the snowplow and take bids for a private contractor to do the whole township, if you can’t keep up with demand. 

[vtfireman85]

You can’t compensate them without either

A. hiring them to work for the town, providing workman’s comp, and the whole litany of other things you need to provide employees

Or B. Hiring them as sub contractors in which case THEY need to provide you with tax ID information (w9 proof of insurance on themselves and or their equipment and you need to officially hire them to do so, not just compensation for something they took upon themselves to do.

I sat on our town board for 17 years and was chair for 6. It is a can of worms, by clearing the road they are liable for damages to individuals, and utilities and town/state infrastructure. They also could be held liable if someone has an accident on the road they cleared. 
I suggest you issue a cease and desist order as soon as you get figured out how to keep up with the snow plow load, either get a sub contractor to work with you or hire more people and buy more equipment. You can turn a blind eye as long as everyone keeps to themselves, but now that they are publicly announcing they are maintaining your roads you need to put a stop to it. 
Anything else is setting yourself up for legal action against your municipality, possibly yourself. 

[mader656]

No compensation...its the cost of rural living.

My county road is 3 miles a few times a year i have to wait 3 days to get it plowed... ive opened it up myself if the past when needed... personally i am glad they even plow it as often as they do.

[bitty]

24 minutes ago, vtfireman85 said:

.....by clearing the road they are liable for damages to individuals, and utilities and town/state infrastructure. They also could be held liable if someone has an accident on the road they cleared. 

I suggest you issue a cease and desist order as soon as you get figured out how to keep up with the snow plow load, either get a sub contractor to work with you or hire more people and buy more equipment. You can turn a blind eye as long as everyone keeps to themselves, but now that they are publicly announcing they are maintaining your roads you need to put a stop to it. 
Anything else is setting yourself up for legal action against your municipality, possibly yourself. 

Our state road is not plowed within 24 hours when snow is a somewhat large amount. Our milk truck used to come 32-33 times in 31 days. Would the state be liable for any milk income lost due to not being able to get a tractor trailer for unloading the tank ? Lawyers have too little to do if everyone is liable for the road after they "cleared it" . I should be responsible for my own driving and nobody else in my opinion and vise versa no matter what road conditions are present 

[vtfireman85]

34 minutes ago, bitty said:

Our state road is not plowed within 24 hours when snow is a somewhat large amount. Our milk truck used to come 32-33 times in 31 days. Would the state be liable for any milk income lost due to not being able to get a tractor trailer for unloading the tank ? Lawyers have too little to do if everyone is liable for the road after they "cleared it" . I should be responsible for my own driving and nobody else in my opinion and vise versa no matter what road conditions are present 

I am not saying as a citizen or business owner I would not plow the road myself, if it needed to be done. He’s asking what his town should do now that people are making a stink. A town can’t put them selves in a position of responsibility for what could happen with people plowing municipal roads.  They also need to figure out how to do it in a timely manner. The answer is straightforward, the logistics are not.