[HISTORY: Adopted by the Common Council of the City of Rensselaer 12-1-1993. Amendments
noted where applicable.]
Whenever road conditions in the City of Rensselaer shall become
hazardous or such that the free movement of fire, health, police,
emergency or other vehicular traffic may become impeded by reason
of snow, freezing rain, ice, other natural causes or any other emergency
as may be determined by the Mayor of the City of Rensselaer, the Mayor
is hereby authorized to declare the existence of an emergency.
The declaration of an emergency as specified above shall be
conveyed to the public by radio and/or television announcements, which
shall constitute notice to the general public of such an emergency.
An emergency shall commence at either 8:00 a.m. or 8:00 p.m.,
as may be declared by the Mayor, and such emergency shall be in existence
for a forty-eight-hour period, unless continued by the Mayor as hereinafter
set forth.
Such emergency shall be continued at the discretion of the,
Mayor of the City of Rensselaer, and notice of such continuation shall
be conveyed to the public by radio and/or television announcements.
During a declared emergency period, the following parking restrictions
shall apply:
A.
When directed by the Mayor or his designee, all vehicular parking
must be on the side of the street, odd or even numbered, designated
and announced by the Mayor at the time the emergency is declared or
continued. After the first twenty-four-hour period, all vehicular
parking shall be on the other side of the street. The Mayor may continue
to regulate parking until the emergency is deemed ended.
B.
In addition to the odd/even or east and west parking restrictions,
the City may restrict parking in designated areas, and the Mayor may
issue any and all other temporary regulations he may deem necessary
to effectuate the free movement of vehicular traffic during a declared
emergency.
C.
During a declared emergency period, all ordinary parking regulations
will be suspended, excepting those parking regulations relative to
fire hydrants and driveways.
D.
Notwithstanding the aforesaid, under no circumstances shall a person
not entitled to park in a handicapped area under normal circumstances
park therein during the snow emergency.
After 48 hours have elapsed from the commencement of an emergency
period, the emergency will be officially declared ended without any
further notice to the public, unless such emergency is continued as
hereinbefore specified herein.
A.
The Department of Public Works and/or any other department authorized
by the Mayor or designee is hereby authorized and directed to place
such signs as are necessary to effectuate the purposes of this chapter.
B.
Said signs shall be in compliance with the appropriate section of
the New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law dealing with emergency
statutes.
C.
The Department of Public Works shall place permanent signs at the
entrance to the City stating its snow emergency procedure.
D.
During any emergency situation contemplated by this chapter, the
Department of Public Works shall place temporary signs in those areas
affected.
The Rensselaer Police Department is hereby authorized and directed
to remove and tow away or have removed and towed away by a commercial
towing service any motor vehicle illegally parked in violation of
this chapter and the parking regulations promulgated hereunder. Motor
vehicles so towed away for illegal parking shall be stored in a safe
place and shall be restored to the owner or operator thereof upon
payment by said owner or operator, to the commercial towing service,
of towing and storage charges placed against said motor vehicle.
Any person violating the provisions of this chapter and the
parking regulations promulgated hereunder relating to the interference
with snow removal operations or failure to comply with parking regulations
during a declared emergency period shall be punished by a fine of
$50.
