(a) Whenever, during any period of twenty-four hours or less, snow falls to a depth of two inches or more, or other severe weather conditions exist such as ice storms, flooding, and other natural weather disasters (tornado, earthquakes, etc.), in the City or a section or sections thereof, an emergency may be declared to exist in that such severe weather conditions constitute a serious public hazard impairing transportation, the movement of food and fuel supplies, medical care, fire, health and police protection, and other vital facilities of the City. Such emergency shall continue until an announcement by the Mayor/Safety Director, Service Director or Police Chief that the existing severe weather condition/s has lessened and/or has been alleviated. This announcement shall be made in the same manner as outlined in subsection (b) hereof.
(b) Whenever such an emergency exists, the Mayor/Safety Director, Service Director or Police Chief shall request the cooperation of the local press and radio and television stations to announce the emergency and the time that emergency parking regulations will become effective, which time shall be no sooner than one hour after the first announcement, and such announcement by a local radio station, or a local television station, or in a daily newspaper of general circulation published in the City of Cleveland, shall constitute notice to the general public of the existence of the emergency. However, the owners and operators of motor vehicles shall have full responsibility to determine existing weather conditions and to comply with the emergency parking regulations.
(1) During the period of the emergency, the Mayor/Safety Director, Service Director or Police Chief may prohibit the parking of any vehicles upon all City streets. (Ord. 4-2001. Passed 1-22-01.)
(2) During the emergency, it shall be unlawful for any person to park, or cause or permit to be parked or permit to remain parked, or to abandon or to leave unattended, any vehicle of any kind or description upon such specified streets. However, vehicles may be parked for a period of not longer than three minutes for actual loading or unloading of passengers provided that no other ordinance restricting parking as to place or time is violated thereby.
(3) Any motor vehicle parked in violation of this section may be removed and impounded in accordance with Section 303.08 at the cost and expense of the owner thereof.
(4) In addition to the foregoing penalty, Whoever violates any provision of this section is guilty of a minor misdemeanor on a first offense; on a second offense within one year after the first offense, the person is guilty of a misdemeanor of the fourth degree; on each subsequent offense within one year after the first offense, the person is guilty of a misdemeanor of the third degree.
(Ord. 3-1994. Passed 1-10-94; Ord. 12-1998. Passed 3-9-98.)