How does MCPS snow removal work?

[Anonymous]

Can anyone shed some insight on how MCPS snow removal works, as far as both staffing and equipment?

Is it really that the individual building service workers assigned to a particular school all year are the ones responsible for clearing the snow, so if it's an elementary school with a small number of workers and they all happen to live in places that haven't been plowed yet (or are sick or otherwise call out), no snow removal happens at that school until they can get there, and the whole school system stays closed until that school and every school is done? Rather than MCPS assessing who's available to work on a given day and assigning them to whichever schools need them them the most in order to get schools cleared as quickly as possible?

[Anonymous]

They are *supposed* to work with the hundreds of county contractors to get the snow removed. Have you seen what it looks like out there? This is not something typical building service workers can clear out alone and are not required to beyond keeping grounds. It is ICEHY you need heavy duty stuff. Parking lots are ice skating rinks. Bus loops. Walkways. Playgrounds to some extent, usually those aren't cleared. But community can rally and start shoveling out the playgrounds it is YOUR public space.

[Anonymous]

Absurd how this county deals with basic services. They should have a dedicated fund for snow removal, and each season that money is not used, it rolls over and then bam, when something like this happens they have a huge fund balance to pay contractors overtime and hire more. Meanwhile in PA, with regular taxes, suburbs and little towns were plowed to the pavement day one. MoCo can do far better, but it's not interested in investing in most basic services of services

[Anonymous]

Families should plan for full closure this week. This is not official. Schools are not ready. Buses depot not ready. 13k bus stops not ready. Some residential streets have not seen a plow since Sunday or Monday. Impassable for buses. They are not going to risk little Larla and Larlo on the school buses. Bus drivers will not drive. Be prepared to be closed into at least early next week. Stop complaing. If you can de ice and shovel out, do it. But be prepared for closure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Absurd how this county deals with basic services. They should have a dedicated fund for snow removal, and each season that money is not used, it rolls over and then bam, when something like this happens they have a huge fund balance to pay contractors overtime and hire more. Meanwhile in PA, with regular taxes, suburbs and little towns were plowed to the pavement day one. MoCo can do far better, but it's not interested in investing in most basic services of services

YOU can advocate, organize. However most people will forget as soon as the snow melts. They will forget there is a website they can check for snow removal status. They will forget how it is until the next storm and restart the complaining but do nothing else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Families should plan for full closure this week. This is not official. Schools are not ready. Buses depot not ready. 13k bus stops not ready. Some residential streets have not seen a plow since Sunday or Monday. Impassable for buses. They are not going to risk little Larla and Larlo on the school buses. Bus drivers will not drive. Be prepared to be closed into at least early next week. Stop complaing. If you can de ice and shovel out, do it. But be prepared for closure.

Monday was yesterday and there's been no precipitation since then.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They are *supposed* to work with the hundreds of county contractors to get the snow removed. Have you seen what it looks like out there? This is not something typical building service workers can clear out alone and are not required to beyond keeping grounds. It is ICEHY you need heavy duty stuff. Parking lots are ice skating rinks. Bus loops. Walkways. Playgrounds to some extent, usually those aren't cleared. But community can rally and start shoveling out the playgrounds it is YOUR public space.

I think some school PTAs were assisting with snow removal

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They are *supposed* to work with the hundreds of county contractors to get the snow removed. Have you seen what it looks like out there? This is not something typical building service workers can clear out alone and are not required to beyond keeping grounds. It is ICEHY you need heavy duty stuff. Parking lots are ice skating rinks. Bus loops. Walkways. Playgrounds to some extent, usually those aren't cleared. But community can rally and start shoveling out the playgrounds it is YOUR public space.

I think some school PTAs were assisting with snow removal

Yes but it takes a lot of work. You need more than a few shovels and kind hearted folks (or more like parents who have to show up for work tomorrow and need childcare)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Families should plan for full closure this week. This is not official. Schools are not ready. Buses depot not ready. 13k bus stops not ready. Some residential streets have not seen a plow since Sunday or Monday. Impassable for buses. They are not going to risk little Larla and Larlo on the school buses. Bus drivers will not drive. Be prepared to be closed into at least early next week. Stop complaing. If you can de ice and shovel out, do it. But be prepared for closure.

Monday was yesterday and there's been no precipitation since then.

Do you simply look out the window? Go out there and see what this storm is. It's more than just ice, geez, folks touch....iceh

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They are *supposed* to work with the hundreds of county contractors to get the snow removed. Have you seen what it looks like out there? This is not something typical building service workers can clear out alone and are not required to beyond keeping grounds. It is ICEHY you need heavy duty stuff. Parking lots are ice skating rinks. Bus loops. Walkways. Playgrounds to some extent, usually those aren't cleared. But community can rally and start shoveling out the playgrounds it is YOUR public space.

So MCPS centrally contracts with people to go clear the lots, and tells them where to go?

[Anonymous]

The building service workers have to come in a remove snow

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Families should plan for full closure this week. This is not official. Schools are not ready. Buses depot not ready. 13k bus stops not ready. Some residential streets have not seen a plow since Sunday or Monday. Impassable for buses. They are not going to risk little Larla and Larlo on the school buses. Bus drivers will not drive. Be prepared to be closed into at least early next week. Stop complaing. If you can de ice and shovel out, do it. But be prepared for closure.

Monday was yesterday and there's been no precipitation since then.

No just freezing temps moron.

[Anonymous]

My principal just asked for the staff to volunteer to come in to help with snow removal. I'd help but there's no way I'm parking on the street near my school. The parents there are crazy and would key my car for parking in one of their spots.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They are *supposed* to work with the hundreds of county contractors to get the snow removed. Have you seen what it looks like out there? This is not something typical building service workers can clear out alone and are not required to beyond keeping grounds. It is ICEHY you need heavy duty stuff. Parking lots are ice skating rinks. Bus loops. Walkways. Playgrounds to some extent, usually those aren't cleared. But community can rally and start shoveling out the playgrounds it is YOUR public space.

Yes, this is a signifiant level of ice removal, which requires different equipment from generic snow removal.

[Anonymous]

Right, so we want MCPS to spend hundreds of thousands on snow and ice removal, only needed once every couple of years and not more teachers, more paraedicators, replacing old/broken HVAC systems.

I think there is a lot wrong with MCPS, but being bad with occasional big snow/ice removal is not on my bingo card