(a) Definition. A snow emergency is defined as that time when there has been during any period of twenty-four hours or less any accumulation of sleet, hail, or ice within the Village or accumulation of snow within the Village to a depth of two inches or more as determined by the United States Weather Bureau and there is a prospect of further snowfall, which accumulation, in the opinion of the Mayor or designee, creates hazardous driving conditions and during such period of time prior to, during and after such sleet, hail, ice or snow, the parking of motor vehicles could hinder, delay, and obstruct the safe flow of traffic and emergency vehicles as well as the proper cleaning and clearing of snow in order to make safe all public streets within the Village.
(b) Determination. The Mayor or designee is hereby authorized to designate any streets, within the Village, which are set forth on the Snow Emergency Location Map attached and incorporated by reference, on which parking shall be prohibited during snow emergencies. Such snow emergency shall continue in effect until the Mayor or designee determines that an emergency no longer exists.
(c) Parking Prohibited. During any snow emergency, no person shall park, cause or permit to be parked or permit to remain parked, or abandoned or left unattended, any vehicle of any kind or description upon any street, highway, thoroughfare, alley or public roadway designated by the Mayor for prohibited parking during the snow emergency. All vehicles parked prior to the time such weather conditions prohibit parking and a snow emergency is announced shall be removed by the owners, operators or other persons responsible for such vehicles. Any motor vehicle parked in violation of this prohibition shall subject the owner or operator to the penalties provided herein. It shall be the responsibility of the owner, operator, or other person responsible for such vehicle to ascertain whether weather conditions require the removal of this vehicle from the streets designated and to remove all vehicles parked in violation of the provisions set forth in this chapter.
(d) Notification. It shall be the responsibility of the owners or operators of motor vehicles to ascertain whether conditions or the declared emergency requires the removal of their vehicles from the streets or areas designated on the Snow Emergency Location Map. In order to assist dissemination of this information, the streets designated hereof shall be marked with pole signs and the Mayor shall through radio, newspaper or other available media disseminate information as the existence of a declared emergency. Once the emergency is declared the effective time shall be no sooner than two hours after the first announcement and such announcement shall constitute notice to the general public of the existence of the emergency period. The Village shall make every effort to inform the public of the existence of the weather conditions but this shall not relieve the owners, operators or other persons responsible for such vehicles parked in these areas persons from the responsibility of ascertaining the existence of the weather conditions or declared emergency therein.
(e) Removal of Vehicles Parked During Emergency. The Mayor or any employee under the Mayor’s direction or any member of the Police Department shall be authorized and empowered to provide for the removal of any vehicle parked on any of the streets, highways, thoroughfares, alleys, or public roadways in the Village in areas designated for removal during snow emergencies to be taken to such garage or other place the Mayor or other person under the Mayor’s direction or member of the Police Department deems appropriate. Any vehicles removed shall be removed to a motor vehicle pound as designated by the Chief of Police, Mayor, or Mayor’s designee. Records of motor vehicles removed and their locations shall be kept by the Police Department. Any costs incurred in such removal or storage shall be paid for by the owner, operator or other person responsible for such vehicle, in addition to any fines or otherwise responsible for such vehicle. No credit for the payment of towing and/or storage charges shall be given toward any fine imposed herein.
(f) Posting. The Mayor or any other Village official designated by the Mayor, is hereby directed to post signs on the major thoroughfares leading into the Village notifying the public that parking is prohibited on designated streets of the Village while a snow emergency is in effect and upon such other streets within the Village designated by the Mayor, as to inform the Village residents or prohibited parking during snow emergencies.
Snow emergency signs shall be placed along the streets or fixed to utility poles within the Village in sufficient numbers as will in the opinion of the Mayor be proper and adequate to the citizens that no vehicles may be parked in such areas during any snow emergency.
(g) Designated Snow Emergency Streets. The following are the designated streets for Snow Emergency:
(1) Main Street from N & S Railroad to Bortz Street.
(2) Long Street from Main Street to Plum Street.
(3) Bortz Street from Main Street to Church Street.
(4) Wright Street from Long Street to Bortz Street.
Motor vehicles shall not be parked on other Village streets when the Mayor or designee in his/her discretion, declares an emergency due to excessive snow and further designates other specific streets or areas bounded by certain streets.
(h) Penalty. Any person violating the provisions of this section shall be subject to a fine of not less than fifteen dollars ($15.00) and not more than fifty dollars ($50.00) provided however that a motor vehicle which has been towed may be recovered only upon the payment of the towing and storage charges imposed thereon.
(Ord. 99-28. Passed 11-1-99.)