UPPER IOWA UNIVERSITY – Facilities Management & Services

Last fall the Grounds Department planted an additional 10,000 bulbs on top of the bulbs that have been planted over the course of the history of Upper Iowa University. Finally some of the hard work is starting to poke through the mulch. Walking past Alexander-Dickman and Parker Fox you can not miss the beautiful color of green beginning to come up.

Spring Garden October 2012

We were very selective when purchasing our bulbs last fall, as we wanted to create a “show”. Our earliest flowers should start to show soon, with our selection of Glory of the Snow, followed by some early to late bloom Tulips, Grape Hyacinth, and Allium Caeruleum. All of our bulbs were imported directly from Holland.

On Fayette Appreciation Day, volunteers will help plant 4,000 annuals this spring.

And lastly 30 light poles around campus will wear two hanging baskets.

With Spring, comes adjusting clocks forward, longer (and warmer) days, and the dawn of a new season for the Upper Iowa University Baseball and Softball teams.

In Northeast Iowa we were accustomed one too many times with the dirty four letter word, “snow” the past few months. The UIU Grounds department unoffcially recorded a little over 30 inches of snow from January 1st through today. We finally thought we were going to catch a break this month when we saw more than an inch and a half of rain fall during the weekend of March 8th. However it got cold again, and more snow fell.

Video of Upper Iowa Grounds Clearing Snow off Baseball Field.

Last week the Grounds Department began the process of uncovering the softball and baseball fields. Although the field conditions caused scheduled games to get cancelled, we were fortunate for all that rain we got earlier in the month as it created a quarter inch to as much as two inches of ice glaze under the snow on both fields. This allowed us to move heaver equipment on to the fields, which in turn allowed us to remove snow quicker. Here’s to hoping for the sun and warmer temperatures.

Please be advised that because we do not close our parking lots during snow storms, facilities can only remove so much snow with cars parked in the lots. Because of this, the lot may be clear but snow may be blocking your car.  In most cases, because we are out clearing campus as a whole, shovels can be checked out at OSD, South Village 1, Garbee or at the Facilities Management & Services building to help assist students that do not have a shovel in their car. As cars move, we do go out and clear a spot. However this is all dependent on when people leave campus.

In extreme circumstances, for example; in a situation where a car has not moved for a few weeks, a simple call to facilities can be made to send out some larger equipment to remove snow during business hours.

Campus Community,

The majority of the snow storm has exited the area. We are in the process of brushing off sidewalks, as well as making sure building entrances remain clear. Please be patient as we continue to clear and sand parking lots.

Please be advised that wind this afternoon may cause drifting of snow on sidewalks. Please be cautious when walking about campus into the evening.

Starting immediately, snow removal will not occur during an ongoing severe winter weather event.

An ongoing severe winter event will be defined as a Blizzard Warning, Winter Storm Warning or in the instance that local law enforcement advise motorists off the roads until conditions improve.
Waiting until after the storm, will allow crews to clear out all snow at once, and prevent drifts during high wind events.

In the case where Facilities Management and Services employees are on campus during an ongoing severe winter event, only stairs and entrances that are safely accessible, will be shoveled and have treatment applied.

After the severe winter weather event has exited the area, Facilities Management and Services employees will begin by hand shoveling all entrances and stairways beginning first with the student center, student center loading dock, rec center and stairwells located in the center of campus.

After this is complete the crew will disperse to the northern portion of campus working to clear out all entrances beginning at the NE Iowa Professional Building and Hoffmaster Housing working their way south until reaching South Village Housing. Please be patient as our crew is not a big crew and to efficiently remove snow for safe travel we must make sure we clear out every entrance.

During this time, a crew running equipment will be dispersing across campus clearing off sidewalks. Depending on the total snow fall, either a snow thrower or plow will be used. Please be patient during this time as after the equipment has passed the sidewalks still need to be brushed and treated.

After campus has been treated and deemed safe, plows will be dispersed to parking lots to begin removing snow. Additional Upper Iowa University property will be removed of snow as well at this time.

Notes:

• The City of Fayette owns all of the streets and maintains them up to Upper Iowa University sidewalks. Please be advised that any cars parked on the street during inclement weather are subject to tow, ticket or being plowed in. Also please be advised that the parking stalls located on the City streets are the responsibility of the city as well.

• Please visit http://members.iowatelecom.net/fayettecity/city_information.htm for more information regarding the City of Fayette’s policy on snow removal.

• Piles caused by clearing lots will be removed after a storm has passed and campus is 100% safe for travel. Please note this may take a few days, weather is notably unpredictable.

• ALL Facilities Management and Services staff will be responsible for snow removal. This is the biggest change in the above policy as in the past a very small crew took care of removal of the entire campus. As our campus grows our snow removal crew had to increase in size as well.

• During inclement winter weather events that are not severe, the above policy will stand, with the exception being snow removal will begin during the storm. Examples of this are snow storms where the forecasted snowfall accumulation is less than two inches with little to no wind.