[Added 4-1-2014 by L.L. No. 3-2014; amended 4-3-2018 by L.L. No. 7-2018]
The Town Board of the Town of Riverhead does hereby find that
there exists a threat to public safety any time that snow, freezing
rain, sleet, or ice is permitted to accumulate on Town highways and
roadways. The parking or abandonment of vehicles along the highways
and roadways during snow and other winter-weather-related events prohibits
and/or restricts the Town's ability to remediate the hazardous conditions
on the highways and impedes the ability of fire, police, and ambulance
vehicles and personnel to provide necessary services to Town residents.
For the above reasons, the Town Board of the Town of Riverhead finds
it necessary to enact legislation prohibiting parking and standing
of vehicles on Town highways and roadways in anticipation of and during
major snow or winter weather events and such other restrictions related
to highway safety during snow and other related winter weather events,
including travel ban for nonemergency vehicles and/or temporary closure
of highways/roads. Pursuant to and consistent with Executive Law § 24,
a snow or winter storm emergency declaration and local emergency proclamations
shall be made by the Supervisor or his/her designee. Such declaration
shall be made at the discretion of the Supervisor when weather conditions
are forecasted or exist such that the accumulation of snow, freezing
rain, sleet, or ice on any roadway will imperil the public safety,
render vehicle travel potentially hazardous and necessitate snow removal
operation or such other remediation efforts to address a winter storm
by the Town.
A.
The Town Supervisor or his or her designee shall declare a snow emergency
or winter storm emergency in a signed written notice to the Town Clerk
or Deputy Town Clerk within 24 hours of said declaration. Said notice
shall become effective immediately after signing and shall indicate
the date and exact time of the declaration. The Chief of Police and
Superintendent of Highways shall be notified immediately following
a snow or winter storm emergency declaration. In addition to and during
the declaration of snow or winter storm emergency, the Supervisor
or his/her designee may promulgate local emergency orders to protect
life and property or bring emergency situation under control.
B.
The Supervisor or his/her designee shall notify at least one local
media immediately following a snow or winter storm emergency declaration
and local emergency orders, and the Supervisor or his/her designee
may cause same to be posted on the Town's official website.
No parking is permitted on either side of any roadway during a snow or winter storm emergency declaration pursuant to § 289-46 of this article.
The declaration of a snow or winter storm or local emergency
orders may designate and declare certain highways and roads closed
such that vehicular travel is prohibited during the snow or winter
storm emergency or for such other period of time recited in the declaration
of snow or winter emergency or local emergency orders. The only vehicles
allowed on the highways and roads declared closed are emergency vehicles
(police and designated police tow vehicles, fire, ambulance), highway
department vehicles and other essential public service vehicles.
A.
The termination of a snow or winter storm emergency and/or rescission
of local emergency orders shall be declared by the Supervisor or his/her
designee. Such termination or rescission shall be made at the discretion
of the Supervisor when snow removal operations or such other required
remediation efforts have been completed to the satisfaction of the
Supervisor.
B.
The Supervisor or his/her designee shall declare a snow or winter
storm termination emergency or rescission of local emergency orders
in a signed written notice to the Town Clerk or Deputy Town Clerk.
Said notice shall become effective immediately upon receipt and shall
include the date and exact time of the snow emergency termination
or rescission of local emergency orders. The Chief of Police and Superintendent
of Highways shall be notified immediately following a snow or winter
storm emergency termination or rescission of local emergency orders.
C.
The Supervisor or his/her designee shall notify at least one local
radio station immediately following the termination of a snow or winter
storm emergency or termination of local emergency orders.
D.
The snow or winter storm emergency termination or rescission of local
emergency orders related thereto shall nullify any provisions or conditions
resulting from a snow or winter storm emergency declaration or local
emergency order, as the case may be, as provided for in this article.
It is prohibited to shovel, plow or otherwise deposit snow onto
any roadway in the Town of Riverhead.
B.
Any vehicle parked on any highway within the Town of Riverhead during a snow or winter storm emergency as set forth in § 289-47 shall be deemed to affect the ability of the Town to remediate hazardous roadway conditions or create a hazardous condition and/or impede or potentially impede the ability of fire, police, highway and ambulance vehicles and personnel to provide necessary services to Town residents on that portion of the public highway on which said vehicle is parked such that said vehicle may be removed by the Riverhead Town Police or other personnel so authorized by the Town Board as set forth in § 289-26, and all procedures set forth in § 289-26, including payment of all fees related to storage and removal, shall apply to vehicles removed from the highway pursuant to this provision.
C.
Any vehicle traveling on any highway or road within the Town of Riverhead that has been declared temporarily closed pursuant to a declaration of a snow or winter storm emergency and/or local emergency order related to such snow or winter event as set forth in § 289-48 be deemed to affect the ability of the Town to remediate hazardous roadway conditions or create a hazardous condition and/or impede or potentially impede the ability of fire, police, highway and ambulance vehicles and personnel to provide necessary services to Town residents on that highway or road or portion thereof on which said vehicle traveled such that said vehicle may be removed by the Riverhead Town Police or other personnel so authorized by the Town Board as set forth in § 289-26, and all procedures set forth in § 289-26, including payment of all fees related to storage and removal, shall apply to vehicles removed from the highway pursuant to this provision.
