(a) Snow emergency defined. A SNOW EMERGENCY is defined as that time when there has been during any period of 24 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 which accumulation, in the opinion of the Mayor, creates hazardous driving conditions and during such period of time prior to, during or 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 to make safe all public streets within the village, or when a Level 1, Level 2, or Level 3 Snow Emergency has been declared by the Pickaway County Sheriff.
(b) Determination of snow emergency.
(1) The Mayor is hereby authorized to declare a snow emergency when, in accordance with division (a) of this section, he or she has determined that conditions justify the declaration of a snow emergency, even in the absence of the declaration of a Level 1, Level 2, or Level 3 Snow Emergency by the Pickaway County Sheriff.
(2) If the Mayor has declared a snow emergency and Pickaway County is not under a Level 1, Level 2, or Level 3 Snow Emergency, such snow emergency declared by the Mayor shall continue in effect until the Mayor determines that any emergency no longer exists and accordingly terminates such emergency.
(c) No parking during snow emergency.
(1) 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 in the village.
(2) 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.
(3) 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 remove all vehicles parked in violation of the provisions set forth in this section.
(d) Notification of snow emergency.
(1) The Mayor, or in his or her absence the Chief of Police, or in the absence of the Chief of Police, any other village official designated by the Mayor, is hereby authorized to announce to broadcast media within the area of the village that a snow emergency is in effect and therefore parking on all streets in the village is forbidden to facilitate the clearing of streets.
(2) The village shall make every effort to inform the public of the existence of the weather conditions requiring the removal of parked vehicles from the streets designated, but the owners, operators, or other persons responsible for such vehicle parked in these areas shall have full responsibility to determine existing weather conditions and to remove parked vehicles if the weather conditions are such as to require the removal under the terms of this section.
(3) The local broadcast media shall announce the emergency and the time that the emergency parking regulations shall become effective, which time shall be no sooner than three hours after the first announcement to the above named broadcast media, or immediately upon the declaration of a Level 1, Level 2, or Level 3 Snow Emergency by the Pickaway County Sheriff, and such announcement to the broadcast media shall constitute notice to the general public of the existence of the emergency period.
(e) Removal of vehicles parked during snow emergency.
(1) The Mayor or any employee under his or her direction or any member of the Police Department shall be authorized and empowered to provide for the removal of any vehicles 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 his or her direction or member of the Police Department deems appropriate.
(2) 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 imposed for a violation of this section.
(f) Posting of snow emergency signs.
(1) 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 streets of the village while a snow emergency is in effect so as to inform the village residents of prohibited parking during snow emergencies.
(2) Snow emergency signs shall be of sufficient size and legibility and be placed upon the streets, highways, thoroughfares, alleys or other public roadways, or fixed to utility poles within the village, in sufficient numbers as will in the opinion of the Mayor be proper and adequate notice to the citizens that no vehicles may be parked in such areas during any snow emergency.
(g) Penalty. Any person or persons violating the provisions of this section with respect to failure to remove parked vehicles as required by this section, is hereby guilty of a minor misdemeanor with each day to be a separate violation.
(Ord. 03-1, passed 1-6-2003; Am. Ord. 2021-06, passed 4-19-2021)