(a) In the event of snowfall in the City in the amount of two inches or more during any period of twenty-four hours or less, and the Director of Public Service-Safety, or in his or her absence, the Chief of Police or the Superintendent of Services, finds that such heavy snowfall constitutes a serious public hazard impairing transportation, the movement of food and fuel supplies, the availability of medical care, fire, health and police protection, or threatens vital operations or facilities of the City, the Director of Public Service-Safety or in his or her absence, the Chief of Police or the Superintendent of Services, the shall declare an emergency. The emergency shall continue until the Director of Public Service-Safety announces that snow plowing operations have been completed.
(b) In the event an emergency is declared due to heavy snowfall, the Director of Public Service-Safety shall request the cooperation of the local press, radio stations and other communications media to announce the declaration of emergency and the times at which emergency parking regulations shall be effective. Emergency parking regulations shall become effective one hour after the first announcement of the declaration of emergency, and such announcement by the local radio station or daily newspaper published in the City, or in other authorized communications media, shall constitute notice to the public of the existence of an emergency. Owners and operators of motor vehicles shall be fully responsible for determining when existing weather conditions constitute an emergency, and for complying with emergency parking regulations when such emergency is declared.
(c) Whenever an emergency is declared under this section, the Director of Public Service- Safety may prohibit the parking of any vehicles on any or all of the City streets, and on all public parking lots which he may designate. During any emergency, it shall be unlawful for any person to park or cause to be parked, or permit to remain parked, or to abandon or to leave unattended, any vehicle of any kind or description on such specified streets. However, vehicles may be parked for a period not longer than three minutes for actual loading or unloading of property, if no other ordinance restricting parking is thereby violated.
(d) The Director of Public Service-Safety may order the removal of any vehicle which may interfere with the operation of any snow removal equipment or any emergency vehicle. The Director of Public Service-Safety shall affect such removal of vehicles through the Police Department of the City. The cost of removal of any vehicle shall be paid by the owner or operator thereof.
(e) No person shall park or stop any vehicle on any uncleared street, alley or parking lot, either during a severe snowstorm, immediately thereafter, or during a state of emergency as declared under this Code, in such a manner as to interfere with snow removal equipment.
(f) In the event an emergency is declared under this Code, such streets as are designated by the Director of Public Service-Safety are declared to be priority streets, and all parking, as hereinabove described, is prohibited thereon, commencing one hour after declaration of such an emergency.
(g) On all streets not designated, parking is prohibited for a period commencing six hours after a declaration of emergency under this section and continuing until the Director of Public Service-Safety announces that all snow plowing operations have been completed. Normal parking may be resumed on any and all streets where not violative of existing ordinances and regulations, on public announcement by the Director of Public Service- Safety that snow plow operations are completed, or when streets have had snow removed to the curb line.
(Ord. 27-13. Passed 8-27-13.)