The Public Works Department would like you to take a few minutes to review the information below when the winter season begins to approach. This is mutually beneficial information that has value to every resident of the Town.
The Public Works Department is responsible for snow removal and approximately 115 miles of streets throughout the Town of Schererville. This does not include US 30 or US 41 which are under the jurisdiction of the Indiana Department of Transportation (State Highway Department).
The main arteries receive the highest priority. These streets are usually pre-treated with a brine solution before a winter storm hits. This helps in keeping the snow from packing and freezing to the pavement. When plows are dispatched to begin plowing, they spread a dosage of road salt behind the trucks. This is thrown from a spinner on the back of the truck; thus drivers need to keep a minimum distance of 50 feet to avoid having salt strike their vehicles.
Town Ordinance 791 prohibits parking on the street when there is a snowfall of 2” or greater.
“No person shall park any vehicle on any street within the corporate limits of the town whenever there is two (2”) inches or more of snow thereon, until said snow is removed. Any vehicle which is parked on said street when depth of snow exceeds two (2”) may be towed away.”
Do not throw snow from your sidewalks or driveway onto the streets.
This causes ice patches and creates an unnecessary hazard for the traffic using the roadway. This is a general nuisance ordinance violation. Throw snow and ice to the side of the driveway and street. When snowplows are dispatched to re-clean a street, the snow and ice are usually plowed directly back onto the sidewalk or driveway from which it originally came; this usually leads to frustration to both the home owners and our plow drivers.
Please help keep fire hydrants clear.
This will assist the Fire Department should the need arise to use the hydrant. Should an emergency arise, a hydrant buried in the snow and difficult to find will cost Fire Personnel valuable time in responding. Public Works employees are typically not available to undertake this task until after the snow has been plowed from all streets.
Cul-de-sac's
Cul-de-sac’s present the Public Works Department with several challenges in clearing them of snow and ice. First, they are wider than most streets and accordingly hold more snow. Second, they usually have a higher density of driveways leaving very little room between them to plow the snow. In some cases, cul-de-sac’s have virtually no openings between the driveways that allow us to divide the load and lessen the amount of snow that is pushed on each driveway.
Plow Routes
Once the mains have been plowed and salted, we move to the secondary streets in the subdivisions. These are usually the main entry streets as well as the streets leading into the third tier in a subdivision. We finish by completing the third tier streets within the subdivisions (streets that service the residents of that street and their visitors and guests). We always attempt to keep these streets open making one or two passes up and down them during a snowfall event. However, the finishing (pushing the snow back to the curb line) is usually not completed until the snow has stopped falling and the mains and secondary roads have been completed.
We will continue to spread salt on the mains the same as we have in the past years. On second and third tier streets we will only be applying salt to the intersections, curves, and hills. We advise all drivers to use caution when using the roadways under adverse conditions.
Mail Box Specifications and Information
- The face of your mail box should be behind the back of the curb by a minimum of 6 and a maximum of 8 inches.
- There should be a minimum of 41 and a maximum of 45 inches of clearance between the top of the curb and the bottom of the mail box.
- If your street does not have curbs, these specifications are from the edge of the pavement
- This is the time of year to check your mail box for a secure mounting post, any cracked, rotting, or defective components, and that it meets the specifications listed above. Mail boxes that do not meet the minimum specifications listed above are likely to be damaged during snow removal and the Public Works Department will not repair or replace them.
- The Public Works Department will not repair or replace mail box damage that occurs because the latch does not hold the door completely and securely closed.
- The Public Works Department will not repair or replace mail boxes that have been damaged due to being hit by the snow that comes off of the snowplow when it travels down the street.
We greatly appreciate your cooperation in these matters so that the Public Works Department can maintain the streets in a safe, efficient, and economic manner. Should you have questions during the winter, we can be reached Monday-Friday, 7:00am – 3:30pm, at 219-322-6688 or 219-322-5486. Should you have the need to contact us after hours or in an emergency, we can be reached through the Police Department at 219-322-5000 (non-emergency). Emergency numbers are 219-322-2121 or 911.