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Road maintenance is an essential part of Public Works. By providing the proper maintenance, Dayton’s road system will give residents safe roads to travel on, and extend the life of the roads. In the winter time staff works to clear snow and put salt/sand down to help with icy conditions. Spring, summer, and fall months are utilized to fix potholes, complete crack-filling, and other maintenance work.
The City contracts out the majority of the asphalt road maintenance from full street reconstruction to crack-filling. Staff is responsible for fixing potholes, so if you know of one, please submit a contact form by choosing the department drop down menu to Public Works. Staff is also responsible for gravel road maintenance. They provide additional class 5 gravel where needed, and grade the roads in order to ensure proper storm water runoff.
Snow Plowing Q & A
Q: When will the City start now or ice control operations?
- A: Snow accumulation of 2” inches or more, drifting of snow that causes problems for travel or icy conditions which seriously affect travel. Main roads and emergency routes may be plowed before the 2” threshold is reached.
Q: When will the City plow my street?
- A: The City has classified streets based on the street functions, traffic volume and importance to the welfare of the community. Streets that are classified as arterial routes will be plowed first. Arterial routes are high volume routes, which connect major sections of the city and provide access for emergency fire, police and medical services. The second priority streets are high volume residential streets, those streets which provide access to schools and commercial businesses. Third priority streets will be low volume residential streets. Lastly, areas such as city parking lots, trails and cul-de-sac clean up.
Q: What are my responsibilities as a resident?
- A: Resident responsibilities include clearing own driveway (or hiring contractor if needed), clearing areas for trash cans (please do not place cans on street surfaces) and clearing around mailboxes/newspaper delivery tubes. Please note, snow plowing can cause additional snow to be deposited in driveway approaches and around roadside obstacles. Residents should be aware they may have to clear the end of their driveways a second time after the street has been plowed. We also encourage residents to keep fire hydrants free from snow in their neighborhood – it can save the Fire Department precious time in case of emergency!
Q: Can we place stakes to mark the curb?
- When streets are covered with snow, it can be very difficult for snowplow operators to determines the edge of the road. Staking the curb enables the operator to locate the edge of the road. Curb stakes are intended to be used as a guide for the plow operator, not as a fence protector along property. Please place stake directly behind curb. The City is not responsible for broken stakes.
Q: Who maintains sidewalks?
- A: If you have a sidewalk in front of your home, you are responsible for snow removal. If you have an association within your development, they may be responsible so please review your contract. The City maintains a majority of trails within the City.
Q: My sod was damaged from the snow plow – who should I contact?
- A: Snow plowing and ice control operations can cause property damage even under the best circumstances. The intent of the right-of-way is to provide snow storage, space for utilities and sidewalks. Lawns that are scraped or gouged by City equipment will be repaired by seeding the following spring. Residents are responsible to assist by watering the areas that are repaired. The City will not be liable for obstacles such as posts, shrubs, sprinkler heads and ornamentation placed in city right-of-way. Please contact Public Works at (763) 427-3224 or email kmontgomery@cityofdaytonmn.com to report sod damage in right-of-way.
Q: My mailbox was damaged by the snow plow – who should I contact?
- A: Damage to a mailbox is a risk that snowplow operators face during their winter plowing requirements. The City will conduct a review of each mailbox damage claim to determine whether the City is responsible for the damage. The plow must make contact with the mailbox to be considered for replacement or reimbursement. A mailbox should be installed so its bottom edge is 45” to 47” above street level with the post 36” back from the curb or front of the box. That amount of clearance is needed to keep the plows wing from hitting the box. Please contact Public Works at (763) 427-3224 if you have further questions.
- **Please note, if you live on a County Road in Dayton (County Road 121, North Diamond Lake Road, Dayton River Road, Brockton Lane, County Rd 81 and County Road 202) you will need to contact Hennepin County about your mailbox as the City does not maintain these roads. The Hennepin County phone number is (612) 596-0299.
Q: Should I move my vehicle from the street if it snows?
- A: The Public Works Department requests that residents do not park on City streets after 2 inches of snowfall, until the streets have been plowed.
Q: Is Hennepin County responsible for plowing any streets in Dayton?
- A: Hennepin County is responsible for County Road 121, North Diamond Lake Road, Dayton River Road, Brockton Lane, County Rd 81 and County Road 202. If you need to report an issue, please contact Hennepin County at (612) 596-0299.
If an emergency situation occurs and your street is not plowed, please contact Hennepin County Dispatch at (612) 596-0299 or the Dayton Police Department at (763) 427-2017.
Driveway Clearing Tips
It is always difficult to keep the end of the driveway clear, and it is frustrating for residents who have cleared the end of the driveway only to have the plow come around and fill it back in again, it is also frustrating for the plow drivers, we do not want to create more work for residents than is absolutely necessary.
A few things to consider to lessen the impact of the snow plowing operations, if we are experiencing a multiple day snow event, the City will conduct several partial plows to keep main roads and residential streets open, cul-de-sacs will have one pass to maintain resident access, trails other than safe routes to school will not be plowed. Once the snow has stopped, staff will commence a full plow that will include plowing curb to curb as close as possible to keep streets functioning at optimum levels. Residents should wait to clear driveways until the plow has come by during the full plow, if possible.
The diagram below shows how residents can clear their driveways to reduce the volume of snow deposited by the plow at driveway entrances. The plow will always deposit snow in the driveway, but following the diagram below will limit the impact and avoid a pile of snow at the driveway entrance.
City Staff need to maintain the width of the Streets within the City so that cars can pass each other and allow for School Buses, Garbage haulers, Post Office Deliveries, Delivery Trucks and Public Safety vehicles to navigate the streets safely where cars may be parked on the Street. Public Works Staff will be widening out Streets as much as possible this may result in snow being pushed back into yards, we will make every possible effort to avoid depositing snow in driveways or damage to property.
Clearing Hydrants
Plow drivers do their best to avoid blocking hydrants, however this is not always possible especially when we have substantial amounts of snow. Keeping streets and trails open is the primary goal for the City’s snow plowing crews, once those responsibilities are concluded Staff will open up hydrants. Staff are asking for residents to help with maintaining the hydrants in front of their homes, this will help Staff and the Fire Department in case of an Emergency.
Mailboxes
Plow drivers try their best to get as close to the mail boxes as possible. Clearing the residual snow so that mail can be delivered, is the responsibility of the resident. Damage to mailboxes happens from time to time, however the City will only replace mailboxes if the snow plow has made contact with them. In many instances the mailboxes or posts are damaged from the impact of the snow coming off the plow. Please inspect the damage to determine if the plow hit the mailbox before reporting the damage to Public Works 763-427-3224.
Street Sweeping
Every year the City of Dayton hires a contractor to sweep the streets twice a year. The effort is scheduled to remove the winter debris buildup and winter ice sanding material prior to spring rains and flushing into the City’s storm sewer system. Public Works will make an announcement within the Communicator as well as Announcements on our City page when street sweeping is scheduled.
Ditch Mowing Procedures
The City of Dayton will do selective ditch mowing beginning mid-June. If there is a safety concern, the ditch will be mowed. However, in an effort to give nesting birds and animals that use the roadside ditches to raise hatch-lings and young animals, full mowing will not occur until August 1. This policy is a recommendation for State, County and Township by MN/DOT & DNR.
If you have additional questions, please contact our Public Works Department at 763-427-3224
