HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOUNCIL - AGENDA ITEM - 01/05/2010 - SECOND READING OF ORDINANCE NO. 137, 2009, AMENDIN DATE: January 5, 2010 •
STAFF: Helen Migchelbrink • - • • •
Second Reading of Ordinance No. 137, 2009, Amending Section 24-96 of the City Code Regarding Snow
Emergencies.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This Ordinance, unanimously adopted on First Reading on December 15,2009, amends the City Code to provide the
City Manager with the authority to declare a snow emergency when conditions warrant. The current Code designates
the City Engineer as the official with the authority to declare a snow emergency.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Copy of First Reading Agenda Item Summary- December 15, 2009
(w/o attachments)
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ATTACHMENT 1
DATE: December 15, 2009 A
STAFF: Helen Migchelbrink • ' • •
First Reading of Ordinance No. 137,2009,Amending Section 24-96 of the City Code Regarding Snow Emergencies.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This Ordinance amends the City Code Section 24-96 to p`vide4h/CityManager with the authority to declare a snow
emergency when conditions warrant. Thh�rrent Code designates the City Engineer as the official with the authority
to declare a snow emergency.
BACKGROUND / DISCUSSION
Current City Code language contained in Section 24-96 designates the City Engineer as the official with the authority
to declare a snow emergency when weather conditions dictate this action. A snow emergency is put into effect to
assure that vehicles do not park on streets which had been previously designated as snow routes. The proposed
change is to place authority for declaring and terminating a snow emergency with the City Manager in place of the City
Engineer. The City Manager will rely on;informatiion collected�and,analyzed;b5v the City Engineer. The change is, in
part, to ensure that such declarations are well coordinated small Cidepartments and emergency services and
communicated to the public, as well as elected officials. v
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends adoption of the Ordinance on First Reading.
ORDINANCE NO. 137, 2009
OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS
AMENDING SECTION 24-96 OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS
REGARDING SNOW EMERGENCIES
WHEREAS, Section 24-96 of the City Code authorizes the City Engineer to declare the
existence of a snow emergency to ensure that vehicles do not park on streets which have been
designated as snow emergency routes; and
WHEREAS, the coordination of communications among City departments,the public, and
elected officials will be enhanced by authorizing the City Manager instead of the City Engineer to
declare the existence and termination of a snow emergency.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT
COLLINS that Section 24-96 of the City Code is amended to read as follows:
Sec. 24-96. Snow emergency.
(a) Whenever the City Manager,upon consultation with his or her staff,finds and
so determines that due to falling snow, sleet,freezing rain or a forecast by the United
States Weather Bureau of weather conditions that so warrant, the City Manager is
hereby authorized to declare the existence of a snow emergency.
(b) The City Manager shall provide announcements to local radio and television
stations declaring a snow emergency to exist and to describe the action to be taken
by the City. There shall be included in such announcement the time that parking
prohibitions are to become effective pursuant to this Section. Where feasible, such
announcement shall be disseminated to a newspaper having a general circulation
within the City.
(c) Upon the declaration of the existence of a snow emergency,parking of motor
vehicles shall be prohibited on all streets designated as snow emergency routes. For
the purposes of this Section, snow emergency routes shall consist of those streets or
portions of streets within the City as designated in the Snow Removal Handbook of
the City of Fort Collins. On each street or portion of street upon which parking is
allowed and which is designated as a snow emergency route,the City Engineer shall
post at reasonable intervals special traffic signs indicating by the appropriate symbol
or wording that the street or portion of the street has been designated as a snow
emergency route. There shall be no parking whatsoever on any roadway or
contiguous shoulder of any state highway or connection link within the City during
the times and at the places where snow removal operations are in progress.
(d) Whenever any vehicle, except an emergency vehicle, is found standing,
attended or unattended,upon a snow emergency route in violation of this Section,the
City Engineer shall without delay and at the owner's expense take action to have the
vehicle towed or otherwise removed from the snow emergency route.
(e) Whenever the City Manager finds that some or all of the conditions which
gave rise to the snow emergency no longer exist, the City Manager may declare the
termination of the emergency, in part or in whole, effective immediately upon
announcement. In the absence of any such announcement, whenever the entire
roadway of any snow emergency route is substantially clear of snow from curb to
curb, the snow emergency shall be deemed to be terminated, and the normally
permitted parking of vehicles shall be automatically authorized.
Introduced, considered favorably on first reading, and ordered published this 15th day of
December, A.D. 2009, and to be presented for final passage on h day of January, A.D. 2010.
A
O� W�O .'eO
Mayor
ATTEST:
City Clerk
Passed and adopted on final reading on the 5th day of January, A.D. 2010.
Mayor
ATTEST:
City Clerk