[HISTORY: Adopted by the Mayor and City Council of the City of Monroe 6-14-1982 by Ord. No. 81-020; amended in its entirety 12-5-2005 by Ord. No. 05-013. Subsequent amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Municipal infractions — See Ch. 85.
Vehicles and traffic — See Ch. 680.
STATUTORY REFERENCES
Traffic rules and regulations in home rule cities — See MCLA § 117.4h.
Traffic rules and regulations generally — See MCLA §§ 257.601 et seq., 257.634 et seq.
The following definitions shall apply in the interpretation and enforcement of this chapter:
SNOW EMERGENCY
An expected snowfall of four inches or more as reported by the National Weather Service.
COORDINATOR
The City Manager or his or her duly designated and acting representative.
SNOW EMERGENCY ROUTE
Those streets designated by the City of Monroe's Traffic Engineer and marked as such.
A. 
Whenever the Coordinator determines, on the basis of a forecast of the National Weather Service, that four or more inches of snow is expected to fall upon the City of Monroe, the Coordinator shall cause to be put into effect a snow emergency parking prohibition on snow emergency routes (streets) by declaring it in a manner prescribed in this chapter.
B. 
Once in effect, a prohibition on parking under this chapter shall remain in effect until terminated by announcement of the Coordinator in accordance with this chapter, except that any street area which has become clear of snow from curb to curb for the length thereof lying between two successive street intersections shall be automatically excluded from such prohibition.
C. 
While the prohibition is in effect, no person shall park, or allow to be parked, any vehicle on any portion of a snow emergency route to which it applies.
D. 
Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to permit parking at any time or place where it is prohibited by any other provision of law.
Whenever a vehicle becomes disabled for any reason on any snow emergency route which is covered by snow, the person operating such vehicle shall take immediate action to have the vehicle towed or pushed off such snow emergency route.
A. 
The Coordinator shall cause each snow emergency declaration made by him or her pursuant to this chapter to be publicly announced by means of telecasts on the City of Monroe's cable network as well as announcements on local radio stations. A snow emergency telephone hotline will be activated that instructs citizens to tune to the City of Monroe's cable network for snow emergency updates. The declaration will also be publicized by press releases sent to the newspapers and television stations in the surrounding area. Each announcement shall describe the action taken by the Coordinator, including the time it became or will become effective.
B. 
The Coordinator 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 chapter.
Whenever the Coordinator shall find that some or all of the conditions which give rise to a parking prohibition in effect pursuant to this chapter no longer exist, he or she may declare the prohibition terminated.
Any provision of this chapter, while temporarily in effect, shall take precedence over other conflicting provisions of law normally in effect, except that it shall not take precedence over provisions of law relating to traffic accidents emergency travel of authorized vehicles, or emergency traffic directions by a police officer.
A. 
On each street designated as a snow emergency route, the Traffic Engineer shall cause signs to be erected plainly marking such routes and sufficient in number to apprise the ordinarily observant person that such street or highway is a snow emergency route.
B. 
Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to permit parking at any time or place where it is prohibited by any other provision of law.
A. 
In any proceeding for a violation of this chapter or Chapter 680, Vehicles and Traffic, relating to the standing or parking of a vehicle, proof that the particular vehicle described in the citation or complaint was parked in violation of any law or regulation, together with proof that the defendant named in the citation or complaint was at the time of such parking the registered owner of such vehicle, shall constitute in evidence a presumption that the registered owner of such vehicle was the person who parked or placed the vehicle at the point where and for the time during which such violation occurred.
B. 
In any proceeding for a violation as stated in Subsection A above, the person in whose name that vehicle is registered at the time of the violation is prima facie responsible for that violation. The registered owner of such vehicle may assert as an affirmative defense that the vehicle in question, at the time of the violation, was in the possession of a person whom the owner had not knowingly permitted to operate the vehicle.
Any vehicle parked on any snow emergency route in violation of any provision of this chapter shall be impounded. No person shall recover any vehicle removed pursuant to this section without first paying the cost of removal and the cost of storage. Any payment required by this section shall not be construed as a penalty such as to preclude a prosecution for a violation of any of the provisions of this chapter.
The following streets are hereby designated as snow emergency routes:
Name of Street
Limits
Conant Street
From the north curb of Wood Street to the south curb of East First Street
East Second Street
From the east curb of South Monroe Street to the west curb of Scott Street
Elm Avenue
From the east curbline on North Dixie Highway to the west curbline of Detroit Avenue
First Street
From the east curbline of Harrison Street to the eastern terminus
Front Street
From the east curbline of South Telegraph Road to the west curbline of Winchester Street
LaPlaisance Road
From East Sixth Street to the south City limits
Kentucky Avenue
From the south curb of East Third Street to the north bank of Plum Creek
Macomb Street
From the south City limits to the north curbline of East Fifth Street
Monroe Street
From the south City limits to the north City limits
Riverview Avenue
From the north curbline of East Elm Avenue to the south curbline of Cole Road
Scott Street
From the south curbline of East Front Street to the north curbline of East Sixth Street
South Roessler Street
From the north curb of West Fifth Street to the south curb of East Front Street
Third Street
From the east curbline of Union Street to the west curbline of Conant Avenue
Union Street
From the south curb of West Fifth Street to the north curb of West Eighth Street
Washington Street
From the north curbline of Jones Avenue to the south curbline of East Front Street
Winchester Street
From the north curb of East Third Street to the south curb of North Dixie Highway
West Eighth Street
From the east curb of South Roessler Street to the west curb of South Monroe Street
West Seventh Street
From the west curb of South Monroe Street to the east curb of Union Street
West Fifth Street
From the west curb of Union Street to the east curb of South Roessler Street
A. 
In addition to the declared snow emergency routes, as referred in this chapter, when four inches or more of snow falls in the City, the Coordinator or his or her designate shall declare a snow emergency for the following streets in the downtown area: First Street between Macomb and Harrison Streets; on Front Street between Macomb and Harrison Streets; and Washington Street between First and Front Streets.
B. 
Parking shall be prohibited, after such announcements on the above streets, from 2:30 a.m. to 7:30 a.m., until the declaration is terminated by announcement of the Coordinator in accordance with this chapter, except that any street area which has become clear of snow from curb to curb for the length thereof lying between two successive street intersections shall be automatically excluded from such prohibition.
Whoever violates any of the provisions of this chapter is responsible for a civil infraction and shall be subject to a civil fine of not more than $100 for each offense.