[Ord. No. 20.027 §1, 2-1-1999]
A. Snow
routes shall be streets or portions of streets designated by ordinance.
These streets shall receive priority treatment during normal snow
operations and/or during a snow emergency. These streets shall be
readily identifiable by sign designation.
B. No
person shall impede or interfere in any way with a snowplow or other
snow removal vehicle or equipment during operation.
C. No
person shall stop, stand, park or abandon a vehicle in a manner which
obstructs or impedes traffic on a snow route during a snow emergency.
Any vehicle obstructing or impeding traffic in violation of this Section,
and any vehicle parked in violation of this Article may be removed
from the snow route to a service station, garage, or other place of
safety, as defined below, and shall be considered an abandoned motor
vehicle. The provisions and procedures set forth below shall apply
to the further disposition of the vehicle. Streets designated as snow
routes may be closed to all traffic as needed to remove snow, or as
needed to allow the treatment of the surfaces of melting of ice, etc.
[Ord. No. 20.027 §2, 2-1-1999]
Snow routes shall also serve as emergency routes and will receive
priority service for clearing and opening during any disaster or general
emergency.
[Ord. No. 20.027 §3, 2-1-1999]
A. Whenever
the Chief of Police, through information gathered from other City
employees or personnel, the Missouri Department of Transportation,
the U.S. Weather Service, or any other source of reliable information,
or on the basis of falling snow or freezing rain or sleet finds that
it will be necessary that motor vehicle traffic be expedited and that
parking on all or a portion of some City streets be prohibited, he/she
shall have the power to declare a snow emergency.
B. In
the event the Chief of Police deems it necessary to declare a snow
emergency, it shall be announced and broadcast publicly, if possible,
for a period of at least three (3) hours. Absent extraordinary circumstances,
no vehicles parked on the snow route shall be considered in violation
of the ordinance until at least three (3) hours have elapsed since
the original declaration of emergency by the Chief of Police. It is
the intent of this Article to provide adequate notice to area residents
of the declaration of emergency and to provide reasonable opportunity
for the residents to move any parked vehicle from the snow route.
Accordingly, a vehicle will not be considered parked, in violation
of this Article, if the vehicle is parked on the snow route prior
to and at the time of the declaration of emergency, and the original
declaration of the snow emergency is made during the hours of 10:30
P.M. and 6:00 A.M. the next morning; subject, however, to the following:
1. All vehicles must be moved by 8:00 A.M. on any date after declaration
of the snow emergency and if not moved by that time shall be considered
in violation of this Article. The time the snow emergency shall be
in effect shall be designated by the Chief of Police and shall be
contained and set forth in the declaration, with termination or extension
of the original time to be at the discretion of the Chief of Police.
C. Whenever
a snow emergency is declared, parking shall be prohibited on a portion
of the snow routes designated by ordinance. The signing shall be a
regular no parking sign with the addition of the words "Snow Emergency".
Parking in such areas shall be restricted only for the duration of
the "snow emergency".
[Ord. No. 20.027 §4, 2-1-1999]
Any Police Officer or official who has the authority to issue
tickets for parking violations shall have the authority to issue tickets,
citations and summons for violations of this Article.
[Ord. No. 20.027 §5, 2-1-1999]
A. Any
Police Officer may have any abandoned or disabled motor vehicle towed
away and stored by any service station or garage licensed to do business
in the City, or towed away and stored in such other location as the
Chief of Police has deemed appropriate and believes to be a safe location
for the storage of the vehicle. If the vehicle is unclaimed after
a period of seventy-two (72) hours, the vehicle may be stored outside
the corporate limits by the service station or garage; provided, that
the storage areas are within a reasonable distance of the City and
the vehicle is accessible for reclaim during normal business hours.
A report showing the location of the stored vehicle shall be filed,
by the Police Officer who authorized its removal, with the Chief of
Police, who shall notify the owner or any holder of a security interest
appearing on the title of such vehicle of the location of the vehicle,
and instructions for redeeming the vehicle, by certified mail. The
owner of any vehicle in this City under the provisions of this Section
or the holder of a security interest in the vehicle, which interest
is in default, may reclaim such vehicle from the service station or
garage upon proof of ownership or valid security interest which is
in default and full payment of all charges for the towing and storage
of the vehicle. If the owner or lienholder believe the vehicle was
improperly towed, they shall have the right to request an informal
hearing before the Chief of Police. If they are dissatisfied with
the results of the hearing, they may seek review before the Municipal
Court. Any review by the Municipal Court shall be consolidated with
the hearing on any citation issued related to the towing incident.
B. The
owner of the service station or garage towing and storing a vehicle
under the provisions of this Section may sell the vehicle for salvage
or the vehicle may be sold at public auction if it remains unclaimed
for thirty (30) days. Notice of the sale of a motor vehicle at public
auction shall be posted for at least twenty (20) days prior to the
sale, at the service station or storage area where the vehicle is
located, on the bulletin board in the municipal building (City Hall)
and at the County Courthouse. The notice shall include any identifying
marks or numbers, the date and place where the vehicle was found,
the time and place of the public auction and any accrued charges against
the vehicle, including per diem charges. When any vehicle is sold
for salvage or is sold at public auction, the service station or garage
shall immediately notify the Chief of Police and the City Clerk, in
writing, of the sale of said vehicle. The proceeds of the sale shall
be first used to pay the cost of the sale, all towing and storage
costs accrued against the vehicle, then to any fine and or court costs
resulting from any citation issued related to the towing incident,
and the balance, if any shall be paid into the General Revenue Fund
of the City unless otherwise stipulated in a contract with a service
station or garage providing towing and storing services for the City.
C. Any
person or entity who violates any provision of this Article shall
be guilty of a municipal ordinance violation and assessed a fine of
at least twenty-five dollars ($25.00), and such fine shall not exceed
the maximum fine permitted to be charged by the City of California,
Missouri, for municipal ordinance violations, and said person or entity
shall be assessed the applicable costs of towing and storage, all
as set forth above, which shall be in addition to the regular court
costs.