Whenever there is any accumulation of snow,
ice and/or freezing rain upon the streets which shall be designated
as snow emergency routes by resolution of the Board of Supervisors, causing such streets to become
dangerous and hazardous to vehicular and pedestrian traffic, a snow
emergency shall be declared by the Supervisors of the Township. Whenever
a snow emergency exists on snow emergency routes, all parking shall
be prohibited on these routes. Such routes shall be designated by
official signs erected by the Township.
All vehicles traveling on a snow emergency route
during a snow emergency shall be equipped with chains or snow tires.
Any time a snow emergency shall be deemed to
be in effect by virtue of the foregoing provisions, such emergency
shall continue to exist until such time as the Township Supervisors
shall declare that the snow emergency has been terminated. Such declaration
shall be made in accordance with the rules and regulations hereinafter
established by the Township Supervisors.
It shall be unlawful for any vehicle to be left
parked, stalled, incapable of moving under its own power or unattended,
in violation of this article, upon any street designated and marked
as a snow emergency route in this Township, and any such vehicle may
be removed and/or impounded by the Township.
In the event that vehicles are impounded under the authority of §
125-6 mentioned above, said vehicles shall be stored in such storage areas and garages as are approved from time to time by the Township Supervisors. Such storage areas or garages used as pounds for the storage of vehicles mentioned above shall be approved by the Township Supervisors only after the owners or operators of such storage areas or garages have provided bond in a sufficient and adequate amount for the indemnification of the owner of such impounded vehicle against the loss thereof or injury or damage thereto while in the custody of such poundkeeper and have provided, in writing, for the Board of Supervisors fixed, specific towing and storage charges to be assessed against the owner of the vehicle.
Within 12 hours from the time of the impounding
of such vehicle or ascertainment by the Township as to the identity
of the owner of such vehicle, notice of the fact that such vehicle
has been impounded shall be sent by the Township to the owner of record
of such vehicle designating the place from which said vehicle was
removed, the reason for its impounding and the place in which it has
been impounded.
[Amended 4-11-1991 by Ord. No. 1991-3]
The payment of such charges assessed above,
unless such payment shall be made under protest, shall be final and
conclusive and shall constitute a waiver of any right to recover the
money so paid by the owner of the motor vehicles so impounded. In
the event that the towing and impounding charges are paid under protest,
the offender shall be entitled to a hearing before a District Justice
or a court of record having jurisdiction.
No vehicle shall be removed under the terms
of this article it at the time of such intended removal, the owner
or person for the time being in charge of such vehicle is present
and expresses a willingness and intention to immediately remove said
vehicle.
All parking of vehicles during a snow emergency
shall be made in compliance with the rules and regulations adopted
herein by the Township Supervisors of the Township of Washington to
carry out the intent and purpose of this article. Such rules and regulations
shall be approved by resolution of the Township Supervisors and, when
so appropriated, shall have the same force and effect as the provisions
of this article. Said rules and regulations may be amended, modified
or repealed by resolution of the Township Supervisors.
Any owner, occupant or tenant of any property
in the Township shall not deposit or cause to be deposited any snow,
hail or sleet upon any plowed portion of any Township street or road.
Any person, firm or corporation guilty of violating
any of the provisions of this article, as defined herein, shall, upon
conviction before any District Justice by summary proceedings, be
fined not less than $10 nor more than $100, together with costs, and,
in default of payment thereof be committed to the Township lockup
for a period not exceeding five days or to the county jail for a permit
not exceeding five days.