Frequently Asked Questions

In plowing and de-icing operations, the City’s plows respond first to all State Routes, main roads, hills and secondary main roads which must be kept passable to provide a safe transportation network to the largest volume of people. Once these areas are in passable condition, crews head to clear the residential side streets and subdivisions.

All of the City of Chardon's plows have plow blades with “curb guards” at each end that keep the blade 6” inches away from the face of the curb. This is done to prevent damage to vehicles and equipment and help limit the damage to the asphalt and concrete road surface and damage to other infrastructure such as, catch basins or water valves and residential mailboxes.

Salt is not very effective during heavy snow fall on side streets due to the low traffic volume needed to help activate the melting agents in road salt. Salt will be applied on side streets when the snowfall has slowed or stopped and when conditions exist that will make it effective or necessary. Salt applied on side streets with low vehicle traffic and during the course of active snow fall will get plowed out of the streets and onto tree lawns, thereby wasting the use of the costly material and the time. Salt is always applied within approximately 100 feet of all side street intersections and on all hills when side streets are plowed.

Unfortunately, it cannot be helped; trucks angle the blades on their snowplows to move the snow off the centerline of the road towards the berm and curb. The snow must be removed from the traveled portion of the road for public safety. Snow left in driveway aprons by the city during snow fighting operations is the residents’ and property owners’ responsibility to remove. We understand and apologize for the inconvenience it causes you, however given the weight and configuration of the equipment used the process does not allow for select placement of snow that is coming off of the street.

There are over 2,500 driveway aprons in the City. The time and cost to clean all the driveway aprons is prohibitive. With 54 center lane miles of roads to plow, it takes the City 3 hours to complete one trip around town. The City does not have the resources to return and clear drive aprons where snow was left after plowing the streets. The same holds true during sidewalk plowing; sidewalk plows will, on occasion, leave small wind rows of snow from the sidewalk on the drive aprons. This is an unfortunate result of this particular city service. It is the property owner or occupant’s responsibility to keep the sidewalk free from snow, ice or any nuisance.

Snow may not be pushed or blown into the street from private property, nor may it be pushed onto your neighbor’s property. Please remind your snowplow service that they are not permitted to push snow onto the street, across the street or onto any property where it did not fall.