Living in the desert as we do, moisture in the form of rain and snow is very important to us. It replenishes our water supply and provides our flora and fauna with life-sustaining nutrients. However, when the snow hits the valley floor it can be a nuisance to live with. Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on your view, we only experience snow occasionally on the valley floor.

The Town of Minden has implemented a snow removal policy to guide us through these periods of inclement weather. The Town's present snow removal policy doesn't begin to execute the removal of snow until there are four inches on the ground. This is in part because snow removal is costly, and also because unplowed snow will melt faster than snow that is plowed in rows or piles.

We realize that driving in these conditions presents some challenges, especially for those of you driving two-wheel vehicles. We recommend that you reduce your speed and use caution when driving on snow-covered roads. Be assured that the Town's sanders will be out sanding intersections when icy conditions exist, no matter how much snow is on the ground, and once the snow hits the four inch mark, our plows will be out plowing the town streets.

How It Works

The snow removal procedure is determined by the severity of the conditions. We allocate our resources as best we can, focusing first on those roads with the heaviest volume of traffic. There are three phases of the plan:

• Phase 1 - The Town Manager (or designee of the Manager) may order snow removal and sanding by Town personnel, without any specific accumulations of snow, if in her professional judgment conditions warrant.

• Phase 2 - Accumulations of four or more inches. Action: Town personnel are authorized, as directed by the Town Manager (or designee of the Manager) to remove snow from major arterial roads through downtown Minden and its' subdivisions.

• Phase 3 - Accumulation of four inches or more on the ground and a 50% or greater chance of more snow predicted within 12 hours. A: After phase 2 in the opinion of the Town Manager (or designee of the Manager) is completed, all secondary roads may be plowed during normal working hours. Employees' schedules may be changed to allow this work to be completed without the Town's incurring overtime costs.

Snow in the Road

If you are new to Minden, we plow our snow to the middle of the road in most areas. This may be an inconvenience if you are traveling down the road and your destination is on the opposite side of the street. Our recommendation is to proceed to the nearest intersection where you can safely get on the same side of the road as your home. Again, we understand that this is inopportune, but the alternative is to plow the snow to the side of the street, which builds a berm along sidewalks and driveways. We made the decision that this is a bigger hassle with the potential to become an even greater hazard to the safety of our residents.

It is a violation of Douglas County Code to shovel snow into the street because of drainage issues; instead, please consider shoveling it onto your lawn-where it can water the grass once it melts