It is hereby declared to be in the best interest of the public policy and public safety of the city to regulate and restrict the operation and/or parking of vehicles on public streets during snow removal or cleaning of streets.
(A) Definitions. For the purposes of this section, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
EMERGENCY SNOW ROUTE. The Administrator of Public Works or their designee shall have the authority to designate public streets as emergency snow routes when, in the Administrator’s opinion, the streets must be cleared of snow for the safe and orderly flow of traffic for the safety, health and welfare of the general public. The Public Works Department shall maintain a publicly available map defining the streets designated as an emergency snow route and the emergency snow route shall be properly posted in such a manner that the public is informed.
SNOW REMOVAL ALERT. As such times as there is anticipated snowfall and/or sufficient snow accumulation on the public streets as the need for snow removal is evident, a snow removal alert will automatically be declared.
STREET. The entire width, or specific portions of any public roadway within the city, and it shall not be limited to those roadways designated as a street, but shall include all names by which public roadways are designated.
(B) Declaration of snow removal alert.
(1) A snow removal alert will automatically exist when the forecasted weather patterns are expected to create such sufficient snowfall that streets will need to be cleared of snow and the snow removal alert will continue to exist when such sufficient snow has accumulated and continues to accumulate that snow removal on the streets is required.
(2) The city will publish the Snow Removal Ordinance once annually, prior to the winter season, in the designated official city newspaper.
(3) Public notification of each individual snow removal alert will not be the responsibility of the City of Lead.
(C) Public responsibilities. In regards to snow emergency routes and snow removal alerts, residents, or other owners of parked vehicles or trailers, shall be responsible for knowing the status of their street of residence or the street where their parked vehicles or trailers exist and be cognizant of developing weather patterns that might result in a snow removal alert. Further, all individuals shall be responsible for ascertaining the status of the street upon which they are traveling, or upon which they have become stalled, and shall take whatever measures necessary to remove stalled vehicles from those routes in accordance with this section.
(D) Restrictions-designated. No person shall park or allow to remain parked any vehicle or trailer on any street, or portion of a street, designated as an emergency snow route, as defined by division (A) above, when snow removal alert exists.
(E) Restrictions-terminated. A snow removal alert shall terminate and the provisions of this section become not effective nor enforceable as to any particular street or portion of a street, as soon as that street or portion thereof has been plowed and cleared of snow accumulation and the snow removal equipment is no longer operating in that area, after which normal parking may be resumed until the next declared snow removal alert.
(F) Restrictions-violation.
(1) Parking contrary to and in violation of division (D) of this section shall be deemed prohibited parking and any vehicle or trailer parked in violation shall be subjected to a City of Lead fine.
(2) In addition to the foregoing fine and penalty, any vehicle parked in violation of this chapter may be removed from the street by the Lead Police Department and placed in storage, and the owner thereof shall be responsible for all fees and fines associated with this towing and storage.
(Prior Code, § 19-652) (Ord. 1069-20, passed 2-18-2020)