(a)   The owners and occupants of all lots within the limits of the city are hereby required to remove or cause to be removed, all snow and ice from the sidewalk in front of the respective property so owned or occupied by them, within 24 hours after same shall have fallen upon such walks.

(b)   Wherever the snow and ice is not removed as required in subsection (a) above, it is hereby made the duty of the City Superintendent to cause the same to be removed, keeping an account of the expense of so removing the same, and report it to the City Clerk, who shall cause the amount of such expense to be levied upon the lots abutting upon the sidewalk from which the City Superintendent has so removed such snow and ice, and shall certify the same to the County Clerk to be extended upon the tax rolls of the county, and collected the same as other taxes upon the real estate.

(Prior Code § 15-501:502; Ord. 96)

(a)   Announcement. The City Superintendent or City Manager shall publicly announce, through all news media available at the time when an emergency snow condition exists, that the Snow Removal Plan is in effect on street areas marked by Emergency Snow Route signs.

(b)   Phases. Snow removal will be accomplished in phases with priority as shown:

(1)   Emergency snow routes. Routes necessary to provide emergency vehicles access to major portions of the city, the business district and emergency facilities such as the hospital. The number of routes shall be the minimum necessary. The City Superintendent or their designated appointee shall be authorized to have violation notices posted on the parked vehicles;

(2)   Primary snow routes. Routes which when cleared will aid in the orderly movement of vehicles to the emergency snow routes. Posting of violation notices or removal of parked vehicles shall not be authorized; and

(3)   Secondary snow routes. Streets which provide access to the primary snow routes. These routes shall be opened only when the emergency snow routes and primary snow routes remain open.

(c)   Notice. Any person who parks a car or other vehicle or trailer on any street of the city is bound by an emergency traffic or parking measure which may be ordered by the City Superintendent or City Manager and is expected to learn when such emergency traffic and parking restrictions are in effect. The city shall make reasonable effort to inform the public of the snow emergency measures; however, it is the responsibility of anyone leaving a car on the streets to keep aware of the application of emergency conditions.

(d)   Penalty. Any vehicle owner or operator who permits the vehicle or trailer, to remain in a restricted parking area, or who in any other manner interferes with snow removal from the streets shall be in violation of this section, the penalty upon conviction thereof to be not less than $25 nor more than $100. The penalty provided for interference with snow removal by a vehicle rests with the registered owner thereof. The fact that the vehicle was not last parked or driven by the owner thereof, or that the driver or owner was not aware of the emergency traffic provisions in effect, shall not be a defense to a charge of violating this section.

(e)   Dumping snow. Following the snow clearance, it shall be a violation of this section for any person, corporation or firm to pile or dump snow on any cleared street from a private driveway or sidewalk so as to constitute an impediment or hazard to normal traffic on the street. The penalty for violation of this section shall be the same as provided in subsection (d) above.

(f)   Owner’s responsibility. Following the snow clearance, it shall be the responsibility of property owners or occupants to remove any blockages of snow from driveways, sidewalks and vehicles in conformity with subsection (e) above.

(g)   Emergency snow routes. Upon announcement by the City Superintendent or the City Manager that the Snow Removal Plan is in effect, the streets listed in this section shall be designated and signed Emergency Snow Route and there shall be no parking thereon, and violating vehicles or trailers shall have violation notices placed thereon. Emergency snow route signs shall be posted on the right-hand side of the driving lane at intervals not to exceed four blocks. The emergency snow routes are as follows:

(1)   Pennsylvania Avenue from U.S. 36 Highway to railroad tracks;

(2)   Commercial Street from the east city limit (Martin Avenue) to the west city limit;

(3)   Columbia Street from U.S. Highway 83 to Frasier Avenue;

(4)   Cedar Street from U.S. 83 Highway to Chandler Avenue;

(5)   Hall Street from U.S. 83 to Marks Avenue;

(6)   Rodehaver Avenue from Power Plant to Commercial Street; and

(7)   Wilson Avenue from U.S. 36 Highway to Commercial Street.

(h)   Primary snow routes. Upon announcement that the Snow Removal Plan is in effect, the following streets shall be designated primary snow routes and vehicles are, on request, to be removed from such streets:

(1)   Mart.in Avenue from U.S. Highway 36 to Commercial Street;

(2)   Marks Avenue from Hall Street to Commercial Street;

(3)   Cass Avenue from U.S. 36 Highway to Hall Street;

(4)   Ash Street from Cass Avenue to Griffith Avenue;

(5)   Griffith Avenue from Ash Street to North Street; and

(6)   North Street from Griffith Avenue to Pennsylvania Avenue.

(Prior Code § 15-601:608; Ord. 693)

(a)   The governing body of the city finds that parking and operating motor vehicles on certain streets covered by a heavy accumulation of snow is a matter affecting the health, safety and welfare of the citizens of the city, for the reasons that parked and stalled vehicles impede snow removal operations and cause serious traffic congestion.

(b)   Whenever snow has accumulated, or there is a possibility of snow, or forecasted accumulation of snow, to such a depth that snow removal operations are likely, a traffic emergency shall be deemed to exist which shall require vehicle owners or operators to remove their vehicles from emergency snow routes. A snow emergency will be posted, if at all possible, on the city website or social media and such notification is sufficient for purposes of this section.

(c)   All vehicles and trailers parked on emergency snow routes must be removed when a traffic emergency exists as set forth in subsection (b) above. Any vehicle or trailer parked on an emergency snow route after such traffic emergency has been declared may be removed, or caused to be removed, by a police officer to the nearest garage or other place of safety, and the vehicle or trailer may not be recovered until the rowing and storage charges are paid. The Police Department may also ticket vehicles. Violation of this section is an offense that carries a penalty of up to 30 days in jail and/or a fine of up to $1,000.

(d)   Emergency snow routes and priority sanding areas shall be designated in writing by the city. Emergency snow route signs shall be installed on the emergency snow routes in accordance with said designation.

(Ord. 910)