(a) Definitions.
(1) “Primary snow emergency routes” are those curbed streets generally traversing the entire Village and are considered essential to the rapid movement of emergency vehicles and normally carry the heaviest traffic volumes.
(2) “Snow tires” are any tires mounted on drive wheels of motor vehicles which are especially designed to give effective traction on snow, mud or ice-covered streets by means of extra heavy duty treads with special high- traction patterns, except that no tire so defined shall be construed to be a snow tire if it is damaged or worn to the extent that its performance would be substantially impaired.
(3) “Tire chains” are any metal chains mounted on drive wheel tires of motor vehicles which cross the tread of each such tire laterally in at least three different places.
(b) Parking on Snow Emergency Routes. Whenever the Mayor finds, on the basis of falling snow, sleet or freezing rain, or on the basis of a forecast by the United States Weather Bureau or other weather service of snow, sleet or freezing rain that weather conditions make it necessary that motor vehicle traffic be expedited and that parking on City streets be prohibited or restricted for snow plowing and other purposes, the Mayor shall put into effect a parking prohibition on primary snow emergency routes as necessary by declaring it in a manner prescribed.
(1) Such parking prohibition shall automatically go into effect on any part of any primary snow emergency route on which there has been an accumulation of snow and/or ice of four inches of more.
(2) Once in effect, a prohibition under this section shall remain in effect until terminated by announcement of the Mayor in accordance with this section, except that any street area which has become substantially clear of snow and ice from curb to curb for the length of the entire block shall be automatically excluded therefrom. While the prohibition is in effect, no person shall park or allow to remain parked any vehicle on any portion of a primary snow emergency route to which it applies.
(c) Condition of Motor Vehicles Operated on Primary Emergency Routes.
(1) It shall be unlawful for any person to operate a motor vehicle on a primary snow emergency route on which there is a covering of snow, sleet or ice which shall allow such vehicle to become stalled wholly or partly because the drive wheels thereof are not equipped with effective tire chains or snow tires.
(2) It shall be unlawful for any person operating a motor vehicle on a primary snow emergency route on which there is a covering of snow, sleet or ice on which there is a parking prohibition in effect to allow such vehicle to become stalled because the motor fuel is exhausted or the battery has become inoperative.
(d) Stalled Vehicle on Primary Snow Emergency Route. Whenever a vehicle becomes stalled for any reason, whether or not in violation of this section, on any part of a primary snow emergency route on which there is a covering of snow, sleet or ice or on which there is a parking prohibition in effect, the person operating such vehicle shall take immediate action to have the vehicle towed or pushed off the roadway of such primary snow emergency route into the first cross-street which is not a primary snow emergency route. No person shall abandon or leave his vehicle in the roadway of a primary snow emergency route (regardless of whether he indicated, by raising the hood or otherwise, that the vehicle is stalled), except for the purpose of securing assistance during the actual time necessary to go to a nearby telephone or to a nearby garage, gasoline station or other place of assistance and return without delay.
(e) Declarations by the Mayor.
(1) The Mayor shall cause each declaration made pursuant to this section to be publicly announced by means of broadcasts or telecasts from stations with a normal operating range covering the Village, and the Mayor may cause such declaration to be further announced in newspapers of general circulation when feasible. Each announcement shall describe the action taken by the Mayor, including the time it became or will become effective, and shall specify the streets or areas affected. A parking prohibition declared by the Mayor shall not go into effect until at least three hours after it has been announced provided, however, that one announcement in a newspaper of general circulation shall be sufficient.
(2) The Mayor shall make or cause to be made a record of each time and date when any declaration is announced to the public in accordance with this section.
(f) Termination of Parking Prohibition. Whenever the Mayor shall find that some or all of the conditions which led to a parking prohibition in effect pursuant to this section no longer exist, the Mayor may declare the prohibition terminated, in whole or in part, in a manner prescribed by this section, effective immediately upon announcement.
(g) Provisions Temporarily Effective to Take Precedence. Any provision of this section which becomes effective by declaration of the Mayor or upon the occurrence of certain weather conditions shall, while temporarily in effect, take precedence over other conflicting provisions of law normally in effect, except that it shall not take precedence over provisions of law relating to traffic accidents, emergency travel of authorized emergency vehicles or emergency traffic directions by a police officer.
(h) Signs to Mark Snow Emergency Routes. On each street designated as hereinafter provided, as a primary snow emergency route, such streets shall be posted with appropriate signs at intervals not exceeding one-fourth mile (one thousand three hundred twenty feet or 0.4 kilometers). Signs posted in accordance with this section shall be distinctive and uniform in appearance and shall be plainly visible and readable to persons traveling on the street or highway.
(i) Impounding Vehicles. Any vehicle parked on any primary snow emergency route in violation of any of the provisions of this section may be impounded and no person shall recover any vehicle removed pursuant to this section without first paying the cost of removal and the cost of storage. Any payments required by this section shall not be construed as a penalty so as to preclude prosecution for violation of any of the provisions of this section.
(j) Evidence with Respect to Vehicles Parked or Left in Violation. In any prosecution with regard to a vehicle parked or left in a place or in a condition in violation of any provision of this section, proof that the particular vehicle described in the complaint was parked or left in violation of a provision of this section, together with proof that the defendant, named in the complaint was at the time the registered owner of such vehicle, shall constitute prima facie evidence that the defendant was the person who parked or left the vehicle in violation of this section.
(k) Snow Emergency Routes Designated. The following streets or portions of streets within the Village are hereby designated as primary snow emergency routes:
All Curbed Streets
(l) Penalty. Any person, firm or corporation violating any provision of this section shall be fined not less than five dollars ($5.00) nor more than one hundred dollars ($100.00) for each offense; and a separate offense shall be deemed committed on each day during or on which a violation occurs or continues. (Ord. 1995-3. Passed 4-10-95.)