On Monday, at the Blue Earth City Council meeting, City Administrator Mary Kennedy presented the snowplowing policy final draft to the council. One of the new changes to the policy is the issuing of a “Snow Emergency”.
“Snow Emergency” means any condition on any public street, including the presence of snow, freezing rain, sleet or ice, which conditions create or is likely to create any hazardous road condition or impedes or is likely to impede the free movement of traffic, when such conditions have been declared by the Public Works Department.
The City will notify local media to give notice of such an emergency to the community. This information will also be posted on the City’s website, announced on MyBlueEarth and shared on the City’s social media platforms. The emergency regulations will become effective one hour after notice has been given by the city. If an emergency is declared the day before for a set time the next day, the emergency will become effective as stated in the notification.
During a snow emergency, it would be unlawful for anyone to park on any city street until the street is plowed curb to curb.
The penalty for the first violation on the on street snow emergency parking ban would be a written warning, a second violation would be a $50 ticket and third and each subsequent violation, would be a $50 and towing the vehicle at the owner’s expense.
The Council unanimously approved the Snowplowing and Snow Emergency Policy.