Frequently Asked Questions - What are my responsibilities for clearing snow?  And what about parking during snowstorms?

Snow Ordinances

All vehicles must be removed from city streets after two and one-half inches of snowfall.  Vehicles may be impounded (towed) at the discretion of the City and the Police Department, and penalties for impoundment are $150 plus $5 per day for storage.  Notification of the need to move vehicles will usually come in the form of an announcement on local media (radio, television and the Daily Star website).  It is always the responsibility of the vehicle owner to move the vehicle at any time that two and a half inches of snow has accumulated.

During snow emergency events, free overnight parking is permitted in any of the city's municipal lots or the parking garage on Market Street until plows have cleared the streets.

The following text is from Chapter 254 of the City of Oneonta Code, pertaining to the clearing of snow and ice from sidewalks and other places, as well as from Chapter 282, pertaining to parking on city streets after snowstorms and the rights of the city to impound vehicles. 

§ 254-17. Snow and ice.

A. Removal from sidewalks; duty of owner, occupant. It shall be the duty of the owner and occupant of each and every parcel of real estate in the city, abutting or bordering upon any street, avenue, highway or other public place, to remove or cause to be removed all snow and ice from the sidewalk in front of or adjacent to such premises to the full paved width of such sidewalk before 9:00 a.m. of each day; provided, however, that where footways or sidewalks have not been paved or duly established, snow and ice shall be removed to a width of not less than four feet from that portion of the street or way which is used in common as a footway in such street or way.

B. Use of ashes, sand, similar material. In case the snow and ice on the sidewalk shall be frozen so hard that it cannot be removed without injury to the pavement, the owner and occupant of every parcel of said real estate shall, within the time specified in the preceding section, cause the sidewalk abutting or adjacent to such premises to be strewn and to be kept strewn with ashes, sand or some other suitable material and shall as soon thereafter as the weather shall permit thoroughly clean such sidewalk.

C. Removal from roofs; duty of owner, occupant. It shall also be the duty of the owner and occupant of any buildings abutting upon or near to any public street, sidewalk or place so located that snow or ice may fall from the roof thereof into or upon such street, sidewalk or place to cause all snow and ice to be removed from such roof before 9:00 a.m. of each day or to provide suitable guards so that the ice or snow shall not be discharged upon the sidewalk.

D. Authority of Department of Public Service to cause removal; assessment of cost of removal by city.  Whenever any owner or occupant of such parcel of real estate shall fail or neglect to remove such snow and ice as aforesaid, the Board of Public Service may have the snow and ice removed therefrom without notice to such owner or occupant, and the cost of such removal, together with an additional charge of 50% thereof for supervision and administration, shall be assessed against such property, and the same shall be levied, corrected, enforced and collected in the same manner, by the same proceedings, at the same time, under the same penalties, and having the same lien upon the property so assessed as the general City tax and as a part thereof.
 

§ 282-39. Authority to impound vehicles.

A. When any vehicle is parked, standing, left unattended or abandoned on any public street or highway within the City during a flood, fire or other public emergency, which affects that portion of the public street or highway upon which said vehicle is parked, standing, left unattended or abandoned, said vehicle may be removed by authority of the Supervisor of Streets and Parks or by authority of the Oneonta Police Department.

B. When any vehicle is parked, standing, left unattended or abandoned on any public street or highway within the City during a snowstorm or after a precipitation of snow of 2 1/2 inches or more and continuing to such time as the snow is plowed and removed from the streets by the Department of Public Works, said vehicle may be removed by authority of the Supervisor of Streets and Parks or the Oneonta Police Department.

C. When any vehicle is parked, standing, left unattended or abandoned on any public street or highway within the City when the Department of Public Works has posted appropriate signs at least 12 hours in advance of its intention to engage in snow removal, sweeping, washing or maintenance work affecting that portion of the public streets or highway upon which said vehicle is parked or abandoned, said vehicle may be removed by authority of the Supervisor of Streets and Parks or by the Oneonta Police Department. The signs to be used in giving such no-parking notice shall be placed as near as possible to the curb, if any, and with sufficient frequency along the street so as to be visible and legible to any reasonable person.

D. When any vehicle is found to be in violation of Subsection A(1), (2) or (3) above, such vehicle may be impounded and towed to a place of storage, at the expense of the owner, by the authority of the Supervisor of Streets and Parks or by the authority of the Supervisor of Public Works, or by the authority of the Oneonta Police Department or any officer thereof.

E. When any vehicle is found unattended on any highway within this City where said vehicle constitutes an obstruction to traffic, or with expired registration, said vehicle may be removed by authority of the Supervisor of Streets and Parks or any Police Officer.

F. When any vehicle is parked or abandoned on any highway within this City where stopping, standing or parking is prohibited, said vehicle may be removed by authority of the Supervisor of Streets and Parks or any Police Officer.

G. When a vehicle is found unattended on private property of another, upon receipt of a signed complaint by the owner of such property that said vehicle was parked on said property without his permission, said vehicle may be removed by any Police Officer.