Township of Palmer, PA Snow Emergency and Severe Weather Declarations

§ 180-43 Title.

This ordinance shall be known and may be cited as the "Palmer Township Snow Emergency and Severe Weather Ordinance" and is supplementary and in addition to the prior ordinances of Palmer Township establishing vehicular regulations.

§ 180-44 Legislative authority.

The regulations for this ordinance have been fully reviewed, studied and approved and found necessary by an engineering and traffic investigation by the Palmer Township Public Services Director and the Palmer Township Chief of Police. All regulations herein are established by the authority of the laws of Pennsylvania, including the Pennsylvania Vehicle Code.[1] All devices and signs used hereunder shall be of the type and kind and shall be installed in a manner approved by the aforesaid laws and code.

[1]

Editor's Note: See 75 Pa.C.S.A. § 101 et seq.

§ 180-45 Declaration of Snow Emergency Level I; restrictions.

In the event of inclement weather where the snowfall is expected to or does accumulate more than three inches or severe icing of the roadway is expected or actually occurs on the roadway, the Chairman of the Board of Supervisors of Palmer Township, or the Vice Chairman in his/her absence, may declare a Snow Emergency Level I. During this emergency, no vehicles will be parked or left unattended on any designated snow emergency route, as so designated by the Palmer Township Board of Supervisors approved list of snow emergency routes. Any and all vehicles traversing the snow emergency routes shall be required to have state-approved snow or all-weather tires or tires with chains. Any vehicle stranded, disabled or parked on these snow emergency routes will be towed at the vehicle owner's expense, who shall pay the appropriate penalties for the violations hereof and any storage fees as charged by the towing service. Snow Emergency Level I declarations may be publicized via television, radio, newspaper, internet, website, Facebook or other social media.

§ 180-46 Declaration of Snow Emergency Level II and severe weather emergency restrictions.

In the event of inclement weather where the snowfall is expected to or does accumulate more than three inches or severe icing of the roadway is expected or actually occurs, or to facilitate the plowing and/or removal of snow or application of antiskid materials or snow-melting materials, the Chairman of the Board of Supervisors of Palmer Township, or the Vice Chairman in his/her absence, may declare a Snow Emergency Level II. Any and all vehicles traversing any Township roads, state highways or cartways shall be required to have state-approved snow or all-weather tires or tires with chains. Any vehicle stranded, disabled or parked on any Township road or property unless said property has been designated as such parking facility, state highway or cartway will be towed at the vehicle owner's expense, who shall pay the appropriate penalties for the violations hereof and any storage fees as charged by the towing service. Snow Emergency Level II declarations may be publicized via television, radio, newspaper, internet, website, Facebook or other social media.

In the event of severe weather, including, but not limited to, tornados, hurricanes, tropical storms, thunderstorms/lightning storms, high winds, floods, and similar conditions, and in the aftermath of such storms or conditions, the Chairman of the Board of Supervisors of Palmer Township, or the Vice Chairman in his/her absence, may declare a severe weather emergency. Any vehicle stranded, disabled or parked on any Township road or property, state highway or cartway will be towed at the vehicle owner's expense, who shall pay the appropriate penalties for the violations thereof and any storage fees as charged by the towing service. Severe weather emergency declarations may designate specific sections of the Township as affected areas, and thus, only those areas may be subject to the parking restrictions. Severe weather declarations may be publicized via television, radio, newspaper, internet, website, Facebook or other social media, including by personal notification or directed reverse 911 phone calls.

§ 180-47 Impoundment of vehicles in violation; fines; nonpayment.

Township police officers, under the authority of the Palmer Township Board of Supervisors, may remove from the right-of-way of any state highway, Township road or cartway any vehicle which is stranded, disabled or parked in violation of the provisions of this ordinance when it is determined that such removal is necessary to facilitate the plowing or removing of snow and ice or for any other lawful purpose.

Such vehicle will be impounded by the Board of Supervisors and issued a parking ticket to the owner of the vehicle, which shall be paid in full in the prescribed period of time or a commonwealth citation shall be issued to the owner of the vehicle.

§ 180-48 Snow emergency routes.

The established snow emergency routes in the Township of Palmer are as follows:

Name of Street	Location
Baldwin Drive	Jonathan Drive to Crescent Drive
Carolyn Street	Greenwood Avenue to Nazareth Road (Route 248)
Church Road	Township line to Nulton Avenue
Corriere Road	Township line to Van Buren Road
Corriere Road	Van Buren Road to Tatamy Road
Crescent Drive	Baldwin Drive to Sycamore Drive
Edgewood Avenue	Greenhill Avenue to Township line
Farmersville Road	Seip Avenue to Township line
Fischer Road	Seip Avenue to Newburg Road
Glen Avenue	Mine Lane Road to Grandview Drive
Grandview Drive	Glen Avenue to Freemansburg Avenue
Greenhill Avenue	Hackett Avenue to Edgewood Avenue
Green Pond Road	Greenwood Avenue to Township line
Greenwood Avenue	Freemansburg Avenue to Seip Avenue
Hecktown Road	Township line to Fischer Road
Jonathan Drive	Mine Lane Road to Baldwin Drive
Mine Lane Road	Freemansburg Avenue to Chain Dam Road
Newlins Mill Road	Van Buren Road to Tatamy Road
Northampton Street	Greenwood Avenue to 25th Street
North Nulton Avenue	Farmersville Road to Green Pond Road
Northwood Avenue	Van Buren Road to Bushkill Drive
Old Nazareth Road	Park Avenue to Route 248
Park Avenue	Route 248 to Tatamy Road
Sales Street	Northampton Street to Nazareth Road (Route 248)
Seip Avenue	Old Nazareth Road to Fischer Road
Southwood Drive	Stones Crossing Road to Mine Lane Road
Stones Crossing Road	William Penn Highway to Sutton Place
Sycamore Drive	Crescent Drive to Stones Crossing Road
Tatamy Road	Park Avenue to Hackett Avenue
Van Buren Road	Route 248 to Northwood Avenue

§ 180-49 Violations and penalties.

Any person or persons, firm or corporation violating any of the provisions of this ordinance shall, upon conviction before a District Justice in a summary proceeding, be liable to and shall pay a fine of not more than $100, plus costs, for every violation, plus the fees for costs of removal, towing and storage of said vehicle.

§ 180-50 Legislative intent.

The intention of this ordinance is to further establish snow emergency routes in the Township of Palmer and to be supplementary to the provisions of previous ordinances in the Township of Palmer pertaining to vehicular regulations. Only where the provisions of this ordinance are in direct conflict with provisions of such previous ordinances, such previous provisions shall be regarded as repealed. In all other instances, such previous provisions are to remain in full force and effect, supplemented by the provisions contained herein.

§ 180-51 Emergency exemption pertaining to all Township employees with commercial driver's license (CDL).

In the event a snow emergency is declared pursuant to § 180-45 or 180-46 of the Palmer Township Vehicle Regulations, and for the duration of any such snow emergency, all employees with a CDL shall be granted the following relief from the maximum driving times specified under USDOT regulations set forth at 49 CFR 395.3, as provided for by PennDOT pursuant to Pa. Code § 231.7.[1]

[1]

Editor's Note: See 67 Pa. Code § 231.7.

If, after any twelve-hour period of continuous duty, an employee with a CDL believes that safe operation of the assigned vehicle is no longer possible due to fatigue, such employee shall notify an immediate supervisor. After providing said notice, or upon the belief of the immediate supervisor of the employee that said operation of the assigned vehicle is no longer possible due to fatigue, such employee shall be granted an off-duty period of a minimum of five hours. The immediate supervisor shall have the discretion to grant such additional time as is believed necessary for the rest and revitalization of the employee with a CDL. After such approved period of rest and revitalization, the employee with a CDL shall return to duty and notify an immediate supervisor of his or her return.