City Council President Pro Tempore Correia and Councilman Taylor 

Introduce Ordinance Calling for Emergency Snow Parking Ban Guidelines

City Council President Pro Tempore Michael Correia, Ward Six introduced an ordinance at tonight’s Council Meeting that calls for implementing an emergency parking ban if the expected snowfall is four inches or more.

“The current system is not efficient and is failing to ensure the safety of our constituents during and after snowstorms,” stated Council President Pro Tempore Michael Correia. “These bans are not being properly enforced resulting in hundreds of vehicles interrupting the plow trucks from clearing the streets. The Director of Public Works should call parking bans based on the severe weather report and not at the discretion of the Mayor’s Office. It is time to step up and deal with these issues that have been putting our constituents at risk.”

This ordinance would allow the City to determine a course of action based on the predictions from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The Director of Public Works would act in accordance with the severe weather report to implement a parking ban that would begin two hours before expected snowfall and end four hours after the snowfall has ceased.

“Currently, we have no set guidelines for when a parking ban is to be implemented,” stated City Councilman James Taylor, Ward 8. “Residents should not be left wondering if their street will be plowed curb to curb. When snow accumulation is expected to be heavy, cars need to be off the streets so that the Department of Public Works can properly carry out their duty.”

The ordinance has been sent to the Committee on Ordinances for further review and comment.