If you live in Granger and sometimes wonder when your subdivision streets will be plowed during snowy weather, county officials are looking to find you some answers.
On Tuesday St. Joseph County commissioners will consider ratifying a contract they’ve already executed to pay local engineering firm Wightman Associates $80,000 for a snowplow route study. The contract says Granger is unique in that it combines a busy commercial corridor with a significant number of neighborhoods in an unincorporated area, yet residents still expect the county highway department to provide “city-level” service standards for snow removal.
It says these challenges are intensified by staffing reductions as well as supervisors who must manage their own plow routes while also attempting to monitor systemwide progress.
The contract also notes that priority facilities, including schools, fire stations, churches and commercial areas, further complicate route design and emphasize the need to focus on major routes before subdivision streets.
The study would result in a GPS-based app to create voice-guided directions for snow plow operators. It would also let the county share near-real-time plow activity with its staff and, if they want, with the public through the app.
