Winter Parking Regulations
I. PURPOSE
The purpose of this Policy is to provide a common understanding of the extent of the City of Janesville’s winter road maintenance activity regarding snow and ice removal, to define the scope and level of services and to inform the public as to their responsibilities.
The City of Janesville Public Works Dept. reserves the right to exercise flexibility in these general guidelines depending upon the type of snow, wind and times of day the snow falls. In the delivery of snow removal services, efforts will be made to balance the needs of road safety, traffic demands, employee safety as well as constraints involving time, money and equipment availability.
II. LIABILITY
The City will not be responsible for damage to vehicles, fences, play equipment, basketball hoops, landscaping items, mailboxes, and other objects parked or placed on the City right-of-way.
III. PROHIBITIONS
No person shall park or leave standing any vehicle upon any street in the City of Janesville during or after a snowfall of three (3) or more inches, or when blowing or drifting snow warrant snow plowing, until snow has been plowed from curb to curb.
No person shall deposit, blow, shovel or plow snow onto or across any public street.
The owner or resident of any property abutting any public sidewalk shall have the obligation of all ice and snow removal. City Staff shall remove all snow on sidewalks within the Central Business District. All ice and snow from other sidewalks shall be removed within 24 hours after the ice or snow has ceased to fall thereon. If the sidewalk is not clean with in the 24 hours, the Public Works department is directed to clean the sidewalk. City Staff is then directed to assess the property owners in which sidewalks were cleaned for the cost of the snow removal.
It shall be the responsibility of the owner or resident of any property to remove snow around mailboxes.
In accordance with the provisions of City code, it is unlawful for any person to place snow or ice upon any public property, including public streets. Furthermore, cleared snow shall be piled, blown, pushed, shoveled or accumulated in manner which does not block visibility of drivers on public streets and alleys or cause other hazardous conditions. The Public Works Director shall have the authority to notify property owners who violate this section. City staff has the right to enforce its nuisance violation.
There shall be no temporary obstructions such as garbage and/or recycling receptacles, basketball poles/hoops, play equipment, landscaping items or obstacles and items of any kind placed on the road right-a-way, boulevard, alley or street in such a manner as to interfere with snowplowing operations.
No discharge of sump pump into right of way shall take place November 15 to April 15 of each year.
Sanding of private property or businesses is not the responsibility of the City, therefore the City will not be hired to do the sanding.
SNOW AND ICE CONTROL OPERATIONS
The Public Works Supervisor shall determine when snow and ice control operations shall begin. When possible, plowing or sanding will be scheduled prior to heavy traffic levels to prevent snow compaction.
The conditions that will determine a snow removal and ice control operation are as follows:
- Snow accumulation of three (3) inches of snow or more.
2. Drifting of snow that causes problems for travel.
3. Icy conditions which seriously affect safety and travel.
4. Time of snowfall in relationship to heavy use of streets.
5. Snow removal personnel will be pulled off the road if weather conditions get bad enough to cause a safety hazard to the operator or the public due to poor visibility or blowing snow.
The above amount is a benchmark only, used to signal when plowing efforts typically begin. Other conditions such as wind or icy rain may warrant an earlier response. Other eminence, such as sanding, may begin earlier than plowing or as road conditions dictate, even when plowing is unnecessary.
V. SNOW PLOWING PROCEDURE
Snow will be plowed in a manner so as to minimize any traffic obstruction. The discharged snow shall go onto City right-of-way, boulevard or ditch area.
VI.SNOW PLOWING EQUIPMENT
The City of Janesville will use City (tractor/truck) equipped with snow plow, blade and/or snow bucket attachment as necessary for removing snow on streets, cul-de-sacs, alleys and City owned parking lots. After a normal snow fall of 1 to 4 inches all City streets, cul-de-sacs, alleys and City owned parking lots will normally be plowed from curb to curb in approximately five (5) to seven (7) hours. Heavier snowfalls will take additional time to clear.
The Public Works Department will be responsible for preventative maintenance programs for all equipment to ensure availability and reliability when needed. The Public Works Department will plan for and recommend necessary equipment upgrades and/or replacements in a timely manner to allow for proper budgeting of those expenditures.
In addition to designated City employees and equipment, in the case of extraordinary snowfall events, extreme winter emergency conditions or in a situation when snowfall events coincide with other city emergencies (i.e. broken water main) the City may use private contractors to provide additional snow plowing, snow blowing and/or snow removal services.
VII. SNOW REMOVAL
The Public Works Director will determine when snow will be removed from an area of the City (i.e.: downtown business area and cul-de-sacs). Such snow removal will occur in areas where there is no room on the boulevard for snow storage and in areas where accumulated piles of snow create a hazardous condition. The snow will be removed and hauled to a snow storage area. The snow storage will be located so as to minimize environmental problems.
Snow removal on County streets will be coordinated between the City Public Works Director and the Waseca County Public Works Department personnel located at the Janesville Shop.
VIII. WORK SCHEDULE FOR SNOW PLOW OPERATORS
As weather conditions dictate, designated employees may have to plow snow on weekends, holidays and after normal working hours.
Snowplow operators will be expected to work eight (8) hour shifts. In severe snow emergencies, operators sometimes have to work in excess of eight (8) hour shifts. However, because of budget and safety concerns, no operator shall work more than a fifteen (15) hour shift in any twenty-four (24) hour period. Operators will take a fifteen (15) minute break every two (2) hours with a half hour meal break after four (4) hours. After a fifteen (15) hour day, the operators will be replaced, if additional qualified personnel are available.
IX. WEATHER CONDITIONS
The Public Works Department will monitor weather conditions during regular operating hours. During off hours, the Public Works Supervisor will continue to monitor weather conditions and shall notify the Public Works workers when snow and ice conditions warrant snow plowing.
Weather conditions are evaluated using information provided by weather forecasts, law enforcement reports and visual verification.
Snow and ice control operations will be conducted only when weather conditions do not endanger the safety of City employees and equipment and so long as operations include: blizzard conditions, heavy/rapid accumulation of snow and/or ice, strong/significant winds and limited visibility.
X. USE OF SAND, SALT AND OTHER CHEMICALS
The City will use sand, salt and other chemicals when there are hazardous icy, slippery conditions. The City of Janesville is concerned about the effects of such chemicals on the environment and will limit use for this reason.
XI. ASSISTING STRANDED MOTORISTS
The Public Works Department may assist stranded motorists by contacting Law Enforcement and/or Emergency Personnel. City personnel will not attempt to remove stuck vehicles from snow banks, ditches or any other impediment.
XII. OFF-STREET PARKING REQUIREMENT
Parking shall be prohibited between the hours of 2am – 6am between the dates of November 15 and April 15 in the Central Business District as well as North Main Street from Second Street to Third Street and First Street from Mott Street to Market Street.
It is unlawful to park or leave a vehicle standing on any street or right-of-way at any time after a snowfall of three (3) or more inches, or when blowing or drifting snow warrant snow plowing, until snow has been plowed from curb to curb.
Residents shall move parked vehicles from the roadway to facilitate the effective plowing of the roadway. If snowplows are forced to go around parked vehicles, the snow surrounding the car can create a hazard to the traveling public as well as plow operators and equipment. The Public Works Director may inform Law Enforcement that a vehicle is in violation of this policy.
No vehicle will be released until all fines or towing charges has been paid in full. The City of Janesville does not assume any responsibility for any damage done during towing or impounding of said vehicle.
The City Council shall annually review and adopt by resolution the City’s Snow Removal Policy and Operational Guidelines prior to the next year’s snow season.
XIII. TOWING AND IMPOUNDING
Law Enforcement officials and the Public Works Director are hereby to work together in case of an authorized and empowered to request any private garage or towing service to tow away and impound any vehicle parked, stored, stalled or standing on City streets in violation of any of the provisions of this chapter.
XIV. PUBLIC CONCERNS OR REQUESTS
Residents with requests, complaints or concerns regarding snow and ice removal should call City Hall, where staff will relay the information to the Public Works Department. Depending on the nature of the request or concern, the Public Works Department will either take the appropriate action necessary or include the City Administrator in responding to the resident.
To better obtain cooperation from the public, the City Administrator will periodically communicate to residents, through the City Newsletter the policies and ordinances regarding snow and ice removal and what services the public can reasonably expect.
XV. PENALTY
Violation of this Chapter shall be a misdemeanor.
XVI. EFFECTIVE DATE
City of Janesville Snow and Ice Control Policy and Procedures shall be in full force and effect after its passage and publication as provided by law.