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AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 33, ARTICLE VII, SECTIONS 97.1, 97.2, 97.3, 97.5, 97.6, OF THE DULUTH CITY CODE AND REPEALING CHAPTER 33, ARTICLE VII, SECTION 97.7 OF THE DULUTH CITY CODE RELATED TO A SNOW EMERGENCY TO CARRY OUT SNOWPLOWING.
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CITY PROPOSAL:
The city of Duluth does ordain:
Section 1: That Chapter 33, Article VII, Section 97.1 of the Duluth City Code is hereby amended as follows:
Sec. 33-97.1. Snow emergency routes--parking regulated.
(a) Whenever the director of public works, or histheir representative, determines that existing weather conditions or forecasted weather conditions require that traffic be expedited or snowplowing be carried out, hethey shall declare that a snow emergency exists in the manner prescribed in Section 33-97.5; such declaration shall be made no later than 4:00 P.M. on any day and shall be effective at 98:00 P.M. on that day.
(b) Upon declaration of a snow emergency, said declaration shall be effective for all streets and avenues and portions thereof identified as snowparking emergency routesstreets pursuant to section 33-97.2.
(c) Once in existence, a snow emergency under this Article shall remain in effect until terminated as provided for in subsection (d) below and in section 33-97.6.
(d) No person shall park, or allow to remain parked, any vehicle on any portion of any public street or highway in violation of the snow emergency provisions of this Division when a snow emergency exists.
(e) Upon declaration of a snow emergency under this Division, all persons parking vehicles on streets and highways subject to alternate side parking pursuant to section 33-97.8 shall be required to park such vehicles according to the following changeover system:
(1) All vehicles required to be parked on that side of the street or avenue which abuts premises, whether improved or unimproved, that are or may be identified with reference to odd numbered addresses shall changeover and be parked on that side of the street or avenue which abuts premises, whether improved or unimproved, that are or may be identified with reference to even numbered addresses;
(2) All vehicles required to be parked on that side of the street or avenue which abuts premises, whether improved or unimproved, that are or may be identified with reference to even numbered addresses shall changeover and be parked on that side of the street or avenue which abuts premises, whether improved or unimproved, that are or may be identified with reference to odd numbered addresses; and
(3) Such changeover shall occur between the hours of 4:00 P.M. and 8:00 P.M on the day of declaration of any snow emergency and the provisions of this section shall not be in force during such time.
Upon termination of a snow emergency, alternate side parking pursuant to section 33-97.8 shall resume, and the time between such termination and 8:00 P.M. shall be a changeover period and the provisions of this Division shall not be in force during such time.
(ef) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Chapter to the contrary, no person shall park or allow to remain parked any vehicle on any street designated a snowparking emergency routestreet in violation of the snow emergency provisions of this Division from 98:00 P.M. on the day of declaration of any snow emergency until 6:00 P.M. on the day following such declaration except that the director of public works and utilities may, by an announcement conforming to the requirements of section 33-97.5, extend or reduce the duration of any declared snow emergency.
Section 2. That Chapter 33, Article VII, Section 97.2 of the Duluth City Code is hereby amended as follows:
Sec. 33-97.2. Same--Designated.
On or before May 1 of each year, the director of public works shall present a request for designation of parking emergency streets to the city council for its action. The city council may, by resolution, designate and establish improved streets or avenues, or portions thereof, as snowparking emergency routesstreets to which the provisions of Sections 33-97.1 through 33.97.6 shall apply.
Section 3. That Chapter 33, Article VII, Section 97.3 of the Duluth City Code is hereby amended as follows:
Sec. 33-97.3. Same--Operation of vehicles.
(a) No person operating a motor vehicle, when a snow emergency exists, shall allow such vehicle to become wholly or partly stalled because the drive wheels thereof are not equipped with tire chains or snow tires;
(b) No person operating a motor vehicle, when a snow emergency exists, shall allow such vehicle to become stalled because the motor fuel supply is exhausted or the battery has become inoperative;
(c) No person shall allow a motor vehicle owned by, operated by or under his or her control to be parked or otherwise left standing on any street or highway, or portions thereof, at a location where parking is prohibited during a time when parking at such location is prohibited by the snow emergency provisions of this Division.
Section 4. That Chapter 33, Article VII, Section 97.5 of the Duluth City Code is hereby amended as follows:
Sec. 33-97.5. Same--Declarations of director of public works.
(a) The director of public works, or histheir representative, shall cause each declaration made by himthem pursuant to this Article Division to be publicly announced by means of broadcasts or telecasts from stations with a normal operating range covering the city and by such other medium which the director deems to be appropriate including the city website, and hethey may cause each declaration to be further announced in newspapers of general circulation when feasible. Each announcement shall describe the action taken by the director of public works, or histheir representative.
(b) The director of public works, or histheir representative, shall make or cause to be made a record of each time and date when any declaration is announced to the public in accordance with this Section.
(c) The director of public works shall not declare a snow emergency on a Sunday. Section 5. That Chapter 33, Article VII, Section 97.6 of the Duluth City Code is hereby amended as follows:
Sec. 33-97.6. Same--Termination of snow emergency.
A snow emergency declared pursuant to this Division shall be effective until terminated pursuant to the time set forth in section 33-97.1 (ef) above or until terminated in whole or in part by the director of publishpublic works and utilities in the same manner as provided for the declaration of snow emergency in section 33-97.5, except that such termination shall be effective immediately upon announcement thereof.
Section 6. That Chapter 33, Article VII, Section 97.7 of the Duluth City Code is hereby repealed:
Sec. 33-97.7. Same--To be marked by signs.
On each street designated by sections 33-97.1 to 33-97.6 as a snow emergency route, permanent signs shall be erected on each side of the street or avenue at intervals not exceeding 1,500 feet, which signs shall bear the words "Snow Emergency Route." These signs shall be distinctive and uniform in appearance and shall be visible to persons traveling on the street or highway. Repealed.
Section 7. That this ordinance shall take effect 30 days after its passage and publication.
Statement Of Purpose
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE: The purpose of this ordinance is to make modifications to the City’s current ordinances related to snow events. These modifications emphasize the importance of parking regulations during a snow event. Street maintenance has determined that it is important to their snow plowing operations that vehicles be moved upon short notice to safely and efficiently remove snow from streets during snow events.
Upon declaration of a snow emergency by the director of public works, alternate side parking restrictions will go into effect on parking emergency streets causing a changeover period. During the changeover period, those parked on a parking emergency street must move vehicles to the other side of the street (from even side to odd side or vice versa). Street maintenance staff will be able to snowplow on the clear side of the street during the snow emergency. Upon termination of a snow emergency, normal alternate side parking regulations will go back into effect. City staff will encourage signed snow emergency routes be used for travel during an emergency.
A companion resolution designating parking emergency streets is submitted for consideration that designates all those streets subject to alternate side parking as parking emergency streets.