County and schools plan for winter weather

On an invitation from Washington County Road and Bridge Supervisor Jared Odoms, representatives from the county’s three school districts were at the Monday, Nov. 4, Washington County Commissioners meeting to discuss road plowing plans for the upcoming winter.

 Although the county’s policy sets snow levels at 6 inches before plows are called out, Odoms is authorized to use his own discretion to start sooner if snow conditions call for it. 

 “I know last year there were a couple of phone calls that came in from the school districts concerned about that six inch rule,” Odoms said. “I figured I’d invite the school districts in so they could maybe explain their side of it and see if there’s anything that we need or want to change in our current policy.”

 Not unlike Odoms, school district transportation supervisors have to make early morning assessments of snowy road conditions in case a snow day has to be called. According to all three districts, that decision has to be made by 5:30 a.m.

 “Last year we had a day where I went out at 4 a.m.,” Weiser’s transportation supervisor, May West said. “There were only a couple of inches down, but by the time the buses ran, we should have closed school, so it was too late.”

 Participating through the commissioner’s Zoom access, Weiser Superintendent Ken Dewlen submitted his thoughts on better communication between the road department and the school districts.

 “We make the (snow day) call by 5:30 a.m.,” Dewlen said. “We called one last year, and should have called it the day before, but I didn’t know the storm was coming in like it did. So, we’ve got to be able to communicate sooner from Jared’s perspective. I’ve got to be able to say at 5:30 a.m., 5:45 at the latest, we’re going to school regardless of what it looks like, or we’re canceling.”

 With a bus driver position currently open at Midvale, Abby Ochoa is the school district’s lone bus driver, covering two routes. She described a day that saw heavy snow last year.

 “By the time school let out, the drifts had come across all the roads,” she said. “I do Farm to Market Road all the way up to Crane Creek. I start driving at 6:08 to get up to Crane Creek, and I go from Crane Creek all the way down to Keithly Creek, almost against the mountains. My route is pretty long right now. I would like to see that six inches dropped down to three to four inches, and hopefully we can get them plowed before routes start.”

 Ochoa added she has one stop where she utilizes the bus’s chair lift, and with four or more inches of snow on the ground, the lift can’t be seated all the way down.

 Cambridge’s Anthony Butler confirmed there are currently just three bus drivers between the two upper country school districts.

 “I know Midvale currently has one bus driver on two routes. So we’re struggling to find bus drivers, and the idea of driving in the snow just compounds that,” Butler said. “I have two drivers, Midvale has one driver, and then we have one person that can sometimes sub, but pretty much alternates for some of our trips between the two school districts.

 “But, to Abby’s point there, she leaves at 6:08, we’ve got to make that call by about 5:30 to let her know not to start things,” Butler added. “When the road crews have to wait for six inches to hit the ground, sometimes that isn’t until 6 a.m. or so. It  causes some frustration for our patrons, as well, when the day is beautiful by 10 and the roads are all cleared, but we had to call a snow day before.”

 Odoms said he uses a number of weather apps to track the timing of incoming storms, plus the expected number of inches of snow with them.

 “Now, it’s only 80 percent, but when we have about an 80 percent probability of  what we can see coming in, we have a pretty good idea,” he said. 

 Odoms said his department prioritizes bus and post office routes, “but we’ve also got to do a route where we don’t waste tax dollars by backtracking 10 miles where we’ve already plowed,” he said.

 “I do agree 100 percent we need to have better communications with the school districts,” he added. “I believe they have my numbers, and if not, I’ll be sure to get it to them. Whenever there’s a snow event, I’m not asleep. I am either on the computer, or I’m out in my pickup, or I’m out with the crew, so if they don’t mind getting a call from me at 2 or 3 in the morning I’d be happy to pass on what I’m seeing out there on the roadway, so they can make a better decision.”

 Odoms said he and his road foreman now split the route that used to take him six to eight hours before he called out the first plow truck.

 “I can do mine in two to three hours, and he can take the north side, so I’m within the communication area (down here),” he said. “ I have the WSD bus barn frequency in my radio, so I do hear them in the morning and afternoon, and if I hear them having any issues I can send stuff their way. There is a benefit of having two of us driving, instead of just one.”

 Snowplows and graders are located at both the Weiser shop and the one located between Midvale and Cambridge. 

 “He and I are driving the roads and taking measurements before the plows and graders go out,” Odoms told the Signal American. “We take the measurements and make the decision on where to send the equipment and at that point is when I touch base with the school districts.”