(a) Whenever, during any period of twenty-four (24) hours or less, snow falls in the City or in a section thereof to a depth of three (3) inches or more, an emergency is declared to exist in that such a heavy snow storm constitutes a serious public hazard impairing transportation, medical care, fire, health and police protection and other vital facilities of the City. The 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 an emergency exists the City Manager, or designee thereof, shall request the cooperation of the local press and radio and television stations to announce the emergency and the time that emergency parking regulations will become effective, which time shall be no sooner than one (1) hour after the first announcement. The emergency shall also be posted on the City of Canfield website and on its other social media platforms. Such postings and announcements by two (2) local radio stations or two (2) local television stations 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 the emergency, the City Manager, or designee thereof, may prohibit the parking of any vehicles upon any or all of the City streets. During the emergency, no person shall park, or cause or permit to be parked or permit to remain parked, or abandon or leave unattended, any vehicle of any kind or description upon such specified streets. However, vehicles may be parked for a period of not longer than five (5) minutes for actual loading or unloading of passengers or thirty (30) minutes for actual loading or unloading of property if no other ordinance restricting parking as to place or time is violated thereby.
(d) Any motor vehicle parked in violation of this prohibition may be impounded at the cost and expense of the owner thereof. If the City Manager authorizes additional emergency equipment to be used, the fees to be charged for towing and storage by such authorized agents shall conform to the fees assessed by the City for the same service.
(e) Whoever violates any provision of this section is guilty of a minor misdemeanor on a first offense; on a second offense within one year after the first offense, the person is guilty of a misdemeanor of the fourth degree; on each subsequent offense within one year after the first offense, the person is guilty of a misdemeanor of the third degree.
(Ord. 2018-09. Passed 4-4-18.)