(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 two (2) 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. The emergency shall continue until an announcement by the Director of Public Safety 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 Director 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. Such announcement by two (2) local radio stations or two (2) local television stations 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 the emergency, the Director may prohibit the parking of any vehicles upon any or all of the City streets designated as a through street or highway by Section 413.02, or as a snow emergency street in the regulations adopted pursuant to the authority of section 403.03. 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 three (3) 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 in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 405 at the cost and expense of the owner thereof. If the Director of Public Safety 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.
(Ord. No. 1684-76. Passed 6-29-76, eff. 7-6-76)