HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolution 07-177-CCBOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
Grant County, Washington
A RESOLUTION GOVERNING EMERGENCY
LOAD LIMITATIONS ON COUNTY ROADS,
THE ISSUANCE Or SPECIAL MOTOR
VEIIICLE PERMITS TO USE ON WEIGHT
RESTRICTED COUNTY ROADS, AND I'IX1NG
PENALTIES FOR VIOLATIONS THEREOF
RESOLUTION NO. 200i- 17� CC
WHEREAS, pursuant to RCW 36.75.270 and 46.44.080, Grant County inay prohibit or
restrict vehicle operations or vehicle weight whenever any county road, by reason of rain, snow, climatic,
or other conditions, will be seriously damaged or destroyed unless the operation of vehicles thereon is
prohibited or rest�icted or their permissible weights reduced (such periods hereafter refen�ed to as "load
sensitive periods"); and
WHEREAS, the Board of County Cominissioners of Grant County, Washington, upon
recommendation of the County Engineer, has deemed it advisable to place certain restrictions on various
county roads during load sensitive periods to protect such roadways from extensive damage; and
WHEREAS, an RESOLUTION has been proposed with the following sections:
1. Declaration of purpose
2. Scope and construction of terms
3. Definitions
4. �mergency load limitations
5. Special permits I'or authorized vehicles
6. Maximurn speed permitted on posted roads
7. Penalty
8. Action for damage
9. Savings
NOW, THEREFORE, purs�.iant to RCW 46.44.080, BE IT HEREBY ORDAINED by the
Board of County Commissioners of Grant County, as follows:
SECTION 1 DECLARATION OF PURPOSE.
It is hereby declared that the policy of the Board of County Commissionexs it to:
A. Establish general einergency load limitations upon county roads during load sensitive periods;
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B. Establish special load limitations for school buses, motor trucics transportingperishable commodities
or commodities necessaiy to the health and welfare of county residents, and moto2• vehicles
providing services necessary for health and welfare, when such elnergency load limitations are in
effect.
C. Request the Washington State Patrol's assistance with weight control enforcement.
SECTION 2 SCOPE AND CONSTRUCTTON OF TERMS
The definitions in this ordinance shall control the meaning of tei-�ns used herein. Where no definition is
expressly stated herein, a term shall have that meaning clearly indicated by, or reasonably in�plied from, the
context in which such term is used.
SECTION 3 DEFINITIONS.
A. "Authorized Emergency Vehicle" means any vehicle of any fire department, police department,
sheriff's office, coroner, prosecuting attorney, Washington State Patrol, or ambulance service, public
or private, which need not be classified, registered, or authorized by the State Patrol.
B. "Commodity necessary for health and welfare" ineans anything provided to the public that is
necessary to provide essential shelter, food, or fuel to people and animals.
C. "County Engineer" means the county engineer, the county director of public worlcs, or his/her
designee.
D. "County Road" means every public highway or part thereof, outside the limits of cities and towns,
and which has not been designated as a state highway.
�. "Gross Weight" means the total vehicle weight including load.
F. "Trucic" means any motor vehicle designed or used for the transportation of commodities,
merchandise, produce, freight, animals, or other things.
G. "Perishable commodity" means 1 product of agriculture, aquaculture, or manuiacture, which by its
natuxe is subject to destruction, decay, deterioration, or spoilage except under proper conditions.
H. "Person" means every natural person, firm, co partnership, corporation, association, or organization.
L "Pneumatic tire" means every tire of rubber or other resilient material designated to be inflated with
compressed air to support the load thereon.
"School bus" means every motor vehicle used ragularly to transport children to and from school or
in connection with school activities, which is subject to the requirements set forth in the most recent
edition of "Specifications for School Buses" published by the State Superintendent of Public
Instruction, but does not include buses operated by coinmon carriers in urban transportation of
school children.
K. "Service necessary for health and welfare" means any service provided to the public that is necessaiy
to maintain essential power, gas, communications, garbage, sewer, and water services for the public.
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L, `°Tire width" mea��s, in the case of �zaeuxnatic tires, the m�ximu�n overall norxa�al inflated width, as
stipulated I�y the n�ai�ufacturer, wllen installed to the press�tre specified and withaut load thereon.
M. "Vel�icle" ��eazls every devica ca��able of being ��laved upon a public higlaway and in, upon, or by
wlxich any persal� or pro��erty is or �xaay be transported or drawn l�pcm a public highway.
SLCTI()N 4 �MERGENCY LC�AD LIMITAT.I�N
A. Whel� thc Ct>unty Engineer detel7nines that, during laad sensitive periads, vel�icles whose gross tire
loads exceed those descrived in this section wi11 seriously damage or destroy a caunty road, tlle
County Engineer may impose the following limits on vehicle weigl�ts, exce��t for authorize,d
emargency vehicles.
Conventional Pneutnatic Tires
'I'ire Widt1�
*7.00
7.50
8.25
9.00
10.00
�`*11.00
* tlnc� Under
** And Over
Gross Load Each
`1'ire
1800 lbs.
l 80t) lbs.
19001bs.
22501bs.
2750 Ibs.
30401bs.
Tubele.ss or SUecial PtleLrmatic Tires
With .5 Marlcin�
Tirc Width
*8-22,5
9-22.5
10.22.5
11-22.5
12 -24.5
�* 12-22.5
Gross Lc>ad Each
Tiz�e.
1$OO lbs.
19001bs.
22501bs.
27SO lbs.
2750 lbs,
3000 lbs.
B. The emergex�cy load limitations imposed by this section sha11 become effective upon the erection azld
maintenance by the County en�incer oI'signs desi�,mating thc load limitations (visible to the operator
of a vehicle as he/she enters the restricted area), and shall relnain in effect until the load sensitive
period ends and such sigzls are removed by the County Engineet•. The following lirnitations shall not
excecd a period of 120 days fi•om the eEfective date below.
SECTION 5 SPECIAL I'ERMITS FOR AUTI�ORIZED VF.,HICLES
A. In accordance with RCW 4G.44.492 and I2CW4G.44.0�)3, the County Road Supervisors are
authorized, during load sensitive periods, to issue special permits for the operation (upon any c�unty
road within the cc�unty) of` a vehicle or combinatian af vehicles exceeding the; lnaximum loads
specil'ied in Section 4 above, to the following classes of vehicles:
(1)
�2)
(3)
(4)
School buses (no permit req�.iired),
Milk trucics witl� d�.ial tires on reai- axles and on trailers.
Trucics hauling �erishable eommodities, To obtaic� a�ea•mit, d�•ivers xnust slzow proof that
�t least fifty ��ercent (50%) oF their lo�d is fresh pz�oduce and/ar perishables.
Garba�;e vehicles malcing picIcups rec�uired for health, e.g., schools, hospitals, ax�ad
institutions.
l�ead anixnal services required �or health reasons.
Vehicles ar emcrgency equipment venclors hauling medical supplies (gases, drugs, etc.}
�'eed trzlcics - oz�e trip basis only.
I'uel trtzcl�s - one irip l�asis only, allowed to llaul '/2 loads an e�nez�gency basis.
Vel�icles engagcd in septic iank pumping - er�crgency basis, one tr-ip ozxly.
Publzc transpartation vehicles.
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I:
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A permit issued to a vehicle in one of the classes oFvehicles listed in Section 5A shall be subject to
the following conditions:
(1) The gross weight of such vehicle shall not exceed the amount determined by multiplying the
total number of tires concentrated upon the surface of the road times the maxilnum
allowable gross weight per tire.
(2) No allowance shall be made for any second gear axle suspended fi•om the frame of the
vehicle independent of the regular driving axle, otherwise lcnown as "rigid tail-axles" or
"drop axles".
(3) Allowance will be made for single tires only on the front of a vehicle.
(4) The load distribtition on any axle of a vehicle shall Ue such that it will not load the tires on
said axle in excess of the prescribed load, as set forth above, and any loading in excess of
the specified maximum will be considered a violation of this Ordinance.
(5) In an attempt to comply with requirements of this section, the power unit of any combination
shall be sufficiently designed to lawfully handle the designated weight.
(6) The special pernzit shall be clearly displayed in the lower right hand corner of the vehicles's
windshield while moving on any restricted county road.
The following limits on vehicle weights shall apply to vehicles receiving permits under Section 5;
Conventional Pneumatic Tires
Tire Width Gross Load Each
Tire
*7.00 18001bs.
7.50 18001bs.
8.25 19001bs.
9.00 22501bs.
10.00 2750 ]bs.
'�* 11.00 30001bs.
* And Under
** And Over
Tubeless or Special Pneumatic Tires
With .5 Marlcin�
Tire Width
*8-22.5
9-22.5
10-22.5
11-22.5
11-24.5
* * 12-22.5
Gross Load Each
Tire
18001bs.
1900 lbs.
22501bs.
27501bs.
27501bs.
3000 lbs.
If a vehicle has ten inch (10") or wider tires on the fi�ont axle and otherwise qualifies for a penr�it,
the vehicle may be allowed to have ten thousand pounds (10,0001bs.) gross weight on said front axle
under emergency load limitations.
Tires over eleven inches (11 ") in width may be issued a special permit for loads of three thousand
pounds (3,000 lbs.) plus four hLmdred pounds (4001bs.) per inch of tire in excess of eleven inches
(11"), up to five thousand two hundred fifty founds (5,250 lbs.) per tire.
Any vehicle requiring a special permit under Section 5 shall not exceed thirty-five miles per hour
(35 M.P,H.) on any county road subject to einergency load limitations.
E. Where a specific hardship occurs, variances from these special permit weight limitations may, at the
discretion of the County Engineer, be issued on a case-by-case basis. Such variance permits may
allow a vehicle to exceed the gross weight limits of this section, subj ect to specified times and routes
of movement needed to protect the county xoads from serious damage,
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SECTION 6 MAXIMUM SPEED PERMITTED ON POSTED ROADS.
Except where applicable law specifies a lower speed, the Cotlnty Engineer may post a reduced speed limit
as low as thirty-five miles per hour (35 M.P.H.) upon any county road under emergency load limitations.
SECTION 7 PENALTY.
Any person violating any emergency load limitation on a county road during a load sensitive period shall be
in violation of this Resollttion. A violation of this Resolution shall constitute a t�•affic infraction under the
provisions ofRCW 46.44.105, RCW 46.44.100, and RCW 46.44.080, subj ecting the violator to the monetaiy
penalties provided in RCW 46.44 and RCW 46.61.
SECTION 8 ACTION FOR DAMAGES.
Any person operating a motor vehicle upon any county road in violation of any provision of this Resolution
shall be liable under RCW 46.44.110 and RCW 46.44.120 for any dainage caused to such county road as the
result of such violation.
SECTION 9 SAVINGS
If any provision of this Resolution or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the
remainder of the Resolution or the application fo the provision to other persons or circumstances shall not
be affected.
NOW THEREFORE B� IT RESOLVED, this Resolution is passed and adopted and shall be
effective and enforced on and after the lst Day oF Januarv , 2008 , and shall Ue
published in the official County newspaper.
,
DATED this � day of �' , 2007.
Yea/ Nay Abstain
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BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
GRANT COUNTY, WASHINGTON
1l ,
Cindy C �ef; Member
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