City of Ellsworth Amended Snow Route Ordinance

(First Published in the Ellsworth County Independent/
Reporter, October 15, 2020)

ORDINANCE NO. 3109

AN ORDINANCE RELATING TO PARKING AND
OPERATING OF VEHICLES UPON STREETS
DESIGNATED AS EMERGENCY SNOW ROUTES WHEN SNOW REMOVAL OPERATIONS ARE NECESSARY,
AUTHORIZING THE STREET SUPERINTENDENT TO DECLARE A TRAFFIC EMERGENCY AND PRESCRIBING
A PENALTY, AND REPEALING CITY CODE 2937.

BE IT ORDAINED BY THE GOVERNING BODY OF THE CITY OF ELLSWORTH:
Section 1. Finding of Governing Body. The Council finds that parking and operation of vehicles on certain streets covered by a heavy accumulation of snow is a matter effecting the health, safety and welfare of the citizens of Ellsworth, Kansas, for the reason that parked vehicles impede snow removal operations and cause serious traffic congestion.
Section 2. Declaration of Traffic Emergency.  Whenever snow has accumulated or there is a possibility that snow will accumulate to such a depth that snow removal operations will be required, the Street Superintendent, or in the absence of the Street Superintendent, the Chief of Police, may declare a traffic emergency and until such traffic emergency is terminated it shall be unlawful to:
    (a) park a vehicle on any street designated an
    emergency snow route in Section 5 of this
    ordinance.
Section 3. Notice of Parking Emergency; Termination.  Upon declaring a traffic emergency, the Street Superintendent shall forthwith cause appropriate notice thereof to be given through personal contact with vehicle owners.  The parking emergency shall be terminated by notice given substantially in the same manner as the parking emergency was declared.
Section 4. Removal of parked Vehicles. All vehicles parked on emergency snow routes must be removed within two (2) hours after notice of a traffic emergency has been given.  Any vehicle parked on an emergency snow route after such period of time may be removed or caused to be removed by a police officer.
Section 5. Emergency Snow Routes; Establishment; Signs.  The following streets are hereby established as emergency snow routes within the City:
K-14 from Fifteenth Street to Recreation Center Driveway
Aylward Avenue from Fifteenth Street to Ellsworth County Medical Center
East North Main Street from Douglas Avenue to Blake Street
Third Street from Douglas Avenue to Highway K-156
Prospect Street from Eighth Street to Fifteenth Street
Blake Street from Third Street to East North Main Street
Stanberry Street from Douglas Avenue to Eleventh Street
Eleventh Street from Stanberry Street to Grand Avenue
Grand Avenue from Eighth Street to Fifteenth Street
Evans Street from Eighth Street to Kunkle Drive
Eighth Street from Evans Street to Prospect Street
3rd Street, from Douglas Ave to W 8th Street
2nd Street, from Lincoln Ave to Kansas Ave
1st Street, from Douglas Ave to Kansas Ave
Kansas Ave, from 1st Street to 3rd Street

The Chief of Police (or other city department) shall upon passage of this ordinance, cause appropriate signs to be installed along each of the said streets designated as emergency snow routes.
Section 6. Manner of removal.  The manner in which the snow is removed from the city streets shall be determined by the Street Superintendent with direction from the governing body.
Section 7. Penalty.  Any operator of a vehicle who shall violate the provisions of this ordinance shall, upon conviction thereof, be fined in an amount not to exceed twenty-five (25) dollars.
Section 8. Authority.  This ordinance is adopted by authority of and under the provisions of Article 12, Section 5 of the Kansas Constitution.
Section 9. Repeal. Ordinance number 2897 is repealed.
Section 10. Effective Date.  This ordinance shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage and publication once in the official city newspaper.
PASSED AND APPROVED this 12th day of October, 2020.

Mark Kennedy
Mayor

ATTEST:

Brittany Rohr,
Deputy City Clerk

SEAL

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