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Dickinson County Supervisors Review Snow Plowing Policy

December 29, 2021 Steve Schwaller

(Spirit Lake)– The Dickinson County Board of Supervisors Tuesday re-visited the county’s snow plowing ordinance but took no action to revise it. The review came on the heels of concerns from one resident that roads aren’t being plowed early enough where he lives. County Engineer Dan Eckert says the issue will likely grow over time as some unincorporated areas near the lakes corridor become more and more urban…

“And so there’s been a push more and more that geez, why isn’t the county doing the Triboji Beaches, Francis Sites’, it’s a 24/7 world out there. I’ve heard that from business associates of mine.”

Outside of emergency situations, under the current policy county plows operate between the hours of 7:00 am and 5:00 pm. Eckert says operating outside of those parameters could have some legal implications…

“I’ve had attorneys tell me at different seminars that, I’ll never forget this as a young engineer, you’re better off having a policy that says when it snows we do nothing. Public beware you’re on your own, we do nothing, than it is having a snow removal policy and you do something outside of it. In other words that attorney’s point was it’s easier to defend one where that I don’t do anything than a policy that you just willy nilly do whatever you want any way.”

Dickinson county has about 740 miles of roads. Eckert says it just isn’t feasible to maintain them on the same scale as the D.O.T does with state and federal highways…

“We need to train the public that if you’re going to travel when conditions aren’t very good, stay to the state highways, stay to the interstate highways. They’re at the first level of service.”

Eckert suggested the supervisors hold a public hearing on the matter in the event more concerns are raised.

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