(A) Enactment. The snow emergency parking prohibition shall begin when the snow emergency takes effect, one hour after the City Manager or their designee has declared a snow emergency. The prohibition shall end when both the following conditions have been satisfied:
(1) The snow, sleet, or ice has stopped; and
(2) An individual street has been completely snowplowed by the city curb-to-curb.
(B) Duration and extension. The parking prohibition shall expire 36 hours after the weather conditions creating the emergency have stopped unless the snow emergency is extended by action of the City Manager or their designee. Such an extension shall require publication procedures identified in § 70.053 to be repeated in the event of an extension.
(C) Abandoned and disabled vehicles. Whenever a vehicle becomes disabled for any reason on any street during a parking prohibition or snow emergency, the owner or person operating the vehicle shall take immediate action to have the vehicle towed or pushed off the street. No person shall abandon or leave the vehicle on the street, except for the purpose of securing immediate assistance; in such cases, the person securing assistance shall leave the vehicle only for the time absolutely necessary to make contact for assistance and shall return to the vehicle immediately thereafter without delay.
(D) Impounding vehicles. In the event of a declared snow emergency, a police officer is hereby authorized to immediately have towed and impounded any vehicle if parked on any street at an impound facility utilized by the Marine City Police Department, St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department and/or state police. Towing and impound fees shall be charged to the owner of the vehicle impounded.
(E) Presumption of ownership. Proof that the particular vehicle described in the complaint in violation of this subchapter, together with proof that the defendant named in the complaint was, at the time of such parking, the registered owner of such vehicle, shall constitute a presumption that the registered owner of such vehicle was the person who parked or placed such vehicle in violation of this subchapter. The failure of a defendant to receive notice of a snow emergency shall not be a defense.
(F) Prohibited conduct. It shall be unlawful for any person in the city to park a commercial vehicle, commercial motor vehicle, motor vehicle, or vehicle upon a public street or private roadway in the city during a declared snow emergency, except as otherwise provided in this subchapter. Such prohibition is not applicable to authorized emergency vehicles.
(G) Violations and penalties.
(1) Any person who shall violate the provisions of § 70.052 shall be responsible for a municipal civil infraction and subject to a penalty not to exceed $50.
(2) Any person who shall violate the provisions of § 70.053 shall be responsible for a civil infraction and subject to a penalty not to exceed $100. Any towing and impound fees shall be charged to the owner of the vehicle towed/impounded.
(H) Temporary parking permission. During winter parking restrictions and the declaration of a snow emergency, special allowances will be made to allow residents to park vehicles in front yards/lawns to accommodate clearing of streets, as long as the parking of vehicles does not create a clear vision issue for drivers or block fire hydrants.
(Prior Code, §§ 29-53, 29-56, 29-57) (Ord. 87-16, passed 11-5-1987; Am. Ord. 95-12, passed 2-1-1996; Am. Ord. 2018-01, passed 4-5-2018; Am. Ord. 24-002, passed 3-7-2024)