[Added 2-27-2002 by Ord. No. 171]
Upon the effective date of this article, it
shall be unlawful to park or allow to be parked any motor vehicle
or other vehicle upon any street, road, or cul-de-sac which is part
of the Athens Township road system after the start of a snowfall and
until the snow has stopped falling and the snow has been completely
plowed for the full width of the cartway.
Any member of the Athens Township Police Department
or any employee of Athens Township engaged in roadwork is hereby authorized
to remove any vehicle abandoned or parked upon any public highway,
street, or cul-de-sac in violation of the terms and provisions of
this article, and to take any said vehicle to the nearest garage or
other place of safety. The registered owner of any said vehicle should
be notified of the fact of the removal and of the place to which said
vehicle has been moved, and he or she may obtain the same upon payment
of any and all towing and storing charges. Neither the Township nor
any of its officers or employees should be held responsible or liable
for any damage to any vehicle occurring as a result of towing and/or
storage of said vehicle which is parked in violation of this article.
A.
It shall be unlawful that owners, occupants, or tenants
of property dump, throw, shovel, pile or push any snow or ice removed
from driveways or walkways into any public highway or street. Any
snow, ice, slush, or a combination thereof, should be pushed or deposited
into any drainage area, stream, river, culvert, or catch basin. No
snow, ice, slush, or combination thereof, should be deposited, pushed,
or maintained within a commercial, industrial, or residential urban
zoning district parking facility or at or near an intersection in
any zoning district in a manner or a location which creates a traffic
hazard by impairing disability from or of a public highway.
B.
No person shall damage any Township property, including
but not limited to traffic signs, culverts, etc., while removing snow,
ice, slush, or a combination thereof. Any damage to the Township property
shall be repaired or replaced in accordance to the requirements of
the Township at the expense of the property owner and/or snow removal
agents.
The owner is hereby required to remove or cause
to be removed all snow, ice, slush, or any combination thereof, or
any accumulation and/or impediment which would limit access to, from,
and/or around all the fire hydrants which are located on said property,
so as to provide immediate access by fire rescue personnel in cases
of emergency. In cases involving a storm, fire hydrants should be
cleared of all snow, ice, slush, or any combination thereof within
24 hours following the storm, and in any event, any accumulation shall
be removed not less than once in every twenty-four-hour period. In
all other cases involving the accumulation of natural and/or man-made
items around fire hydrants, the owner is responsible for the immediate
removal of said items. In either case, fire hydrants should be cleared
sufficiently so emergency personnel have total access to the hydrants.
This is necessary to allow for fire hose connections to be made to
access water in the event of a fire. The owner of the property shall
be responsible for conforming to the requirements of this section
for such properties occupied by said owner or if unoccupied or vacant.
In such cases where the owner, occupant, or tenant as aforesaid shall
fail, neglect, or refuse to comply with any of the provisions of this
section of this article, or within the time period required therein,
the Township of Athens, Bradford County, Pennsylvania, may, in its
discretion, proceed immediately to clear the snow, ice, slush, or
any combination thereof, or any accumulation and/or impediment which
would limit access to, from, and/or around fire hydrants and to collect
the expenses, with any additional amount allowed by law, from fine
or penalty imposed under this article. In no case is the Township
of Athens liable if it does not exercise the Township option for the
removal of snow, ice, slush, any combination thereof, and/or accumulation
in or impediment which would limit access to fire hydrants as to find
with this article.
Any person violating any of the provisions of
this article shall, upon summary conviction thereof, be sentenced
to pay a fine of not more than $100 and pay the costs of prosecution.
Such fines shall be collected as like fines are now collected by law,
and in default of payment, violators shall undergo imprisonment not
to exceed 30 days.
