SC Nebraska News

MEMO

To: City of Cozad Residents

From: Mayor Marcus Kloepping

Date: 1/23/23

The winter storm that covered Cozad, from early Wednesday morning through Thursday morning last week, was a record amount of snow that we have not seen in our area for over 40 years. The snow amount from this one storm is often what we see in an entire winter.

Our city employees, from the street department, electrical department, and water departmenthave been moving snow in 12 hour shifts around the clock since the snow started and willcontinue until the snow is removed.

Cozad’s municipal workers have had three large issues that get compounded with a storm of this size:

1. The first is cars parked on emergency snow routes. While we like to to CC  w those vehicles,the truth is that Cozad does not have a towing company, and the people we use to towwill not venture into Cozad during a snow event as they need to be ready for accidents.

SCHEDULE II. PARKING DURING SNOW EMERGENCY.   

 (A)   Declaration of emergency; prohibition of parking on snow emergency routes. Whenever

the Mayor and/or Street Commissioner shall determine, on the basis of the falling snow, sleet

or freezing rain, or on the basis of an official forecast by the U.S. Weather Bureau, of snow,

sleet or freezing rain, that eminent weather conditions will make it necessary that parking on

snow emergency routes as designated by Ch. 74, Schd. II, of this code of ordinances be

prohibited or restricted from snow plowing and other purposes, the Mayor and/or Street

Commissioner may place into effect a parking prohibition on all snow emergency routes by

declaring that such emergency conditions exist. In such declaration of emergency conditions,

the Mayor and/or Street Commissioner shall state the time that the emergency shall become

effective. From the time so designated, all parking of vehicles on snow emergency routes, shall

be, and the same hereby is prohibited. While the prohibition is in effect, no person shall park or

allow to remain parked any vehicle on any portion of a snow emergency route. Once the emergency is in effect, the parking prohibition imposed by this schedule shall remain in effect

until terminated by declaration of the Mayor and/or Street Commissioner. However, nothing in

this section shall be construed to permit parking at any time or place where it is forbidden by

any other provision of law.

2. The second issue is residents and businesses pushing and piling snow into the streets. These piles often freeze solid and are not able to be blown or windrowed. This extra snow causes delays as our crews must keep moving and cannot deal with these frozen piles. Per section 71.40 of our Municipal Codes, this is prohibited.

SNOW EMERGENCY ROUTES.   (A)   Movement of snow from private property into city streets. Whenever a snow emergency has been declared, no person shall move the snow from lots, driveways or sidewalks owned or controlled by them onto the streets after snow has been cleared from the streets by agents of the city. Once a street has been cleared it shall be unlawful for persons to move snow into street traffic lanes or street parking lanes.

3. Our third issue is, as well as snow removal, these city employees also have regular duties in their own departments, like keeping collecting and hauling our trash, which requires pushing out some of the alleys and driving through the rest of them with a chance of getting stuck. 

I want to thank our team and thank the citizens that have been understanding through this historic winter storm.

Original source can be found here