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1. What if I am disabled or a senior citizen who is unable to clear snow from my sidewalks?

The Senior Citizen Snow Removal Program is a snow removal service provided at no cost to senior citizens (age 65 and older) or disabled residents whose annual household income is less than 300% of federal poverty guidelines. For those eligible, the City will contract to remove snow accumulations of two inches or more from public sidewalks adjacent to homes.

If you have additional questions or meet the eligibility requirements and wish to receive snow removal services, please call 515-963-3538.

2. What can I do to help when it snows?

When it begins to snow, please remove all vehicles from the street. If snow is predicted to occur during evening hours, it would be wise to move your car off the street.

All vehicles must be moved off of any public streets, roads, and alleys within the city when a snow ordinance is declared. Parking in The District at Prairie Trail and Uptown business district is banned from 2 - 6 a.m. during snow ordinances. Vehicles parked on the street during a snow ordinance will be ticketed $40 and may be towed. The City can declare a snow ordinance based on several factors including snow, sleet, freezing rain, and blowing snow. Learn more about how you can be notified when a snow ordinance is in effect on the Snow and Ice Removal page.

The Division of Public Works and the Ankeny Police Department will coordinate the towing operation. If your car is towed, you may call 515-965-6440 to locate your vehicle during regular business hours or contact the Polk County Dispatch at 515-286-3333 after business hours.

Additional Suggestions

• Keep small children inside when snow removal equipment is in your neighborhood.
• Trim low-hanging branches above the street to prevent damage by snowplow trucks.
• Shovel the snow around the fire hydrant near your home for public safety.
• Shovel the snow around the catch basins in the street, so melting snow can drain away.
• Please do not plow or shovel snow into or across the street. It is against the City's Code of Ordinances to do so, and if the snow removal equipment doesn't get a chance to come back and remove it, the snow will most likely freeze and cause ice ruts. This could be hazardous for motorists and pedestrians.
• Do not pass a plow or sander and do not follow them closer than 50 feet.
• Please let us know of any treacherous conditions or problems encountered on the city streets.
• Please be patient. All the streets will be cleared and the problems will be responded to as quickly as possible.

3. What should I do if I live in a cul-de-sac and the City moves snow on the sidewalk in front of my house?

During periods of excessive snow, homeowners may find snow piled into the sidewalk or into their yards. This is an unavoidable part of the snow removal process. Should residents have concerns about clearing their sidewalks, the City of Ankeny will not ticket property owners on cul-de-sacs with snow piled on their sidewalks when it is evident that Public Works has placed it there.

4. How is mail delivery affected by snow?

The snowplow operators make every effort to remove snow as close to the curb-line as practical to provide access to mailboxes for the U.S. Postal Service. The final cleaning adjacent to mailboxes is the responsibility of each resident.

5. What if my mailbox was damaged by snow removal equipment?

The installation of mailboxes on city-owned right-of-way is permitted. The mailbox owner assumes all risks of damage, except when a mailbox is damaged through direct contact with snow removal equipment. 

If a mailbox is damaged due to direct contact with snow removal equipment, the City, at its option, will repair, replace or reimburse the property owner.

To notify the City of a damaged mailbox, please submit an online form at www.ankenyiowa.gov/mailbox. If the City of Ankeny hit your mailbox and it is unusable, we will loan you a temporary mailbox.

6. What if my driveway is filled up with snow from snowplow trucks?

Most snowplow trucks will make 6 passes on residential streets and 10 passes on four-lane streets during a snow removal operation. This means driveways could be filled up to 3 times due to the trucks plowing the snow to the curb. The amount of snow deposited in the driveways may be significant, but it is unavoidable due to the nature of the snow removal process. The City will not clean driveways.

7. What if I have a complaint or request regarding snow and ice control or damages?

Complaints and requests for further services regarding snow and ice control or damages caused by city snow removal operations can be made to the Public Works Operations Manager at 515-963-3525. Response time for messages left should not exceed 24 hours after the snowfall has ceased unless conditions or operations prevent it. Concerns will be addressed on a priority basis.

8. What do I do if my car is towed during a Snow Ordinance?

If your car is towed, contact the Polk County Dispatch at 515-286-3333 to locate it.

9. Why should residents not be allowed to park on residential streets if snow removal operations are in effect but it is a light enough snow that residential streets are not going to be plowed?

A winter storm may start out with residential streets not being plowed, however, could easily progress to a longer duration or more intense weather event where residential streets do need to be plowed and then mid-event we would have to ask residents to move their vehicles.

10. What is the procedure for a snow ordinance?

All vehicles must be moved off of all public streets, alleys, and on-street parking within the City when a snow ordinance is declared. No parking is allowed until the snow ordinance is officially lifted by the City. Parking in The District at Prairie Trail and Uptown business district is prohibited from 2 - 6 a.m. during snow ordinances. Vehicles parked on the street during a snow ordinance will be ticketed $40 and may be towed.

The City can declare a snow ordinance based on several factors including snow, sleet, freezing rain, and blowing snow. When a snow ordinance is put into effect, the declaration will be communicated, along with the start and stop times for parking restrictions, via text message (text ANKENY to 72466), the City website, and the City's Facebook page. Local media will also be notified.

11. Should I report vehicles left on streets during a snow ordinance?

It is not necessary to report vehicles left on the streets. Vehicles parked on the street during a snow ordinance will be ticketed $40 and may be towed. You may report a vehicle to the Ankeny Police Department by calling dispatch via the Polk County Sheriff's Office at 515-286-3333.

12. Where are you supposed to park during a snow ordinance if you don't have a driveway?

All residential housing in Ankeny is required to have a driveway or place to park (that is not in the street) based on Chapter 194 of the City Code. This includes rental units. Beyond what is outlined in the code, parking would need to be resolved by each individual property owner based on each unique property and number of vehicles. If you live in a rental unit and do not have adequate parking, we would advise you to contact your landlord. You can view details of Chapter 194 of the City Code.

13. What are the city's snow plowing procedures?

Anti-Icing / De-Icing Operations

Public Works crews strategically apply salt brine or calcium chloride to arterial and major collector streets approximately 24 hours prior to the beginning of a snowfall event to prevent the formation or development of bonded snow and ice on the roadway. Arterial and major collector streets, industrial roads, and residential intersections are treated with a salt mixture for ice control and snow accumulations of one inch or less.

Things to Know About Ankeny Snow Removal Operations

• When snow accumulation occurs, plow trucks will make multiple passes to fully clear all streets. (We appreciate your patience.)
• Plow trucks are also used to apply salt (you may see a plow truck with its wings and plow up).
• Snow removal for cul-de-sacs:
  • Plow trucks will initially clear a path around the outside of the cul-de-sac.
  • Depending on the amount of accumulation, another truck or an end loader may arrive later to complete snow removal in the bulb of the cul-de-sac.
  • In the event of lighter snowfall, the center of the cul-de-sac may not be cleared.
  • When cul-de-sacs are cleared, the snow may be pushed up and over the sidewalk. (If this is necessary, the property owner is not expected to clear this piled snow off the sidewalk.)
• As the Public Works Department clears all city streets, residential neighborhoods, and business districts, Parks Maintenance removes snow from public parking lots, sidewalks, and trails.

All vehicles must be moved off of all public streets, alleys, and on-street parking within the City when a snow ordinance is declared. No parking is allowed until the snow ordinance is officially lifted by the City. Parking in The District at Prairie Trail and Uptown business district is prohibited from 2 - 6 a.m. during snow ordinances. Vehicles parked on the street during a snow ordinance will be ticketed $40 and may be towed.

The City can declare a snow ordinance based on several factors including snow, sleet, freezing rain, and blowing snow. Learn more about how you can be notified when a snow ordinance is in effect by seeing the Snow and Ice Removal Page.