(A) At times of heavy snowfall when, in his or her opinion, an emergency situation exists requiring immediate plowing, salting, sanding or other clearing of snow from the public ways of the city, the Mayor, or his or her designee, is authorized and empowered to declare a snow emergency.
(B) The Mayor, or his or her designee, shall make a declaration of a snow emergency by giving either oral, written or telephone notification to the highest ranking officer of the Police Department on duty at the time the emergency is declared. The officer shall note the time and date the notice is received by him or her on a snow emergency form available in the City Clerk’s office. The officer shall file the snow emergency form in the office of the City Clerk within a reasonable time after receipt of notification of the emergency.
(C) Upon the declaration of any snow emergency, the officer shall, as soon as possible, notify local radio stations, television stations, newspapers and other members of the news media as will, in the judgment of the officer, afford the earliest and best information to persons using the public ways of the city of the existence of the snow emergency. The officer should also attempt, to the extent possible, to get the notification placed on the city’s website. In notifying the members of the news media, the officer shall request that the notice of the snow emergency and the requirements thereof be broadcast or published as soon as possible. No other notices of the existence of the snow emergency shall be required.
(D) A snow emergency shall expire 24 hours after it is declared. The Mayor, or his or her designee, may declare a new snow emergency to commence immediately upon expiration of an existing snow emergency by giving notice as provided in division (B) above.
(E) The Mayor, or his or her designee, may identity specific public ways or portions of these ways upon which parking is prohibited during a snow emergency and he or she may cause city-owned garages to be opened for public parking. During the existence of any snow emergency duly declared, it shall be a violation for any person, firm or corporation to leave parked any motor vehicle on the public ways or portions thereof identified in the manner set forth above or on any public way of the city in a manner that hinders or interferes with the plowing, salting, sanding or other clearing of snow from any public way.
(1984 Code, § 75.31) (Ord. O-16-05, passed 3-8-2005; Ord. O-42-10, passed 12-7-2010; Ord. O-08-16, passed 5-3-2016) Penalty, see § 74.999