(a) Whenever, during any period of twenty-four hours or less, snow falls in the City or in a section or sections thereof to a depth of two inches or more, an emergency is declared to exist in that such a heavy snow storm constitutes a serious public hazard impairing transportation, the movement of food and fuel supplies, medical care, fire, health and police protection, and other vital facilities of the City. Such emergency shall continue until an announcement by the City Manager that snow plowing operations have been completed, which announcement shall be made in the same manner as outlined in subsection (b) hereof.
(b) Whenever such emergency exists, the City Manager shall request the cooperation of the local press and radio station to announce the emergency and the time that emergency parking regulations will become effective, which time shall be no sooner than one hour after the first announcement, and such announcement by one local radio station or in a daily newspaper of general circulation published in the City shall constitute notice to the general public of the existence of the emergency. However, the owners and operators of motor vehicles shall have full responsibility to determine existing weather conditions and to comply with the emergency parking regulations.
(c) During the period of emergency, the City Manager may prohibit the parking of any vehicles upon any or all of City streets as Council may authorize him.
(d) During the emergency, no person shall park, or cause to be parked or permit to be parked or permit to remain parked, or to abandon or to leave unattended, any vehicle of any kind or description upon such specified streets; provided, however, that vehicles may be parked for a period of not longer than three minutes for actual loading or unloading of passengers or thirty minutes for actual loading or unloading of property; provided, further, that no other ordinance restricting parking as to place or time is violated thereby.
(e) Any motor vehicle parked in violation of this prohibition may be impounded by the City at the cost and expense of the owner thereof; provided, that in the event the City Administrator authorizes additional emergency equipment to be used the fees to be charged for towing and storage by the authorized agents shall conform to the fees as assessed by the City for the same service.
(Ord. 19-94. Passed 4-19-94.)
(f) Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, whoever violates this section is guilty of a minor misdemeanor. If, within one year of the offense, the offender previously has been convicted of or pleaded guilty to one predicate motor vehicle or traffic offense, whoever violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor of the fourth degree. If, within one year of the offense, the offender previously has been convicted of two or more predicate motor vehicle or traffic offenses, whoever violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor of the third degree.