With this winter's abundant snowfall, Brainerd city engineer Paul Sandy reminds residents of the city's snow ordinances and to keep plow routes free of obstructions.
Sandy said city staff has observed residents leaving their garbage cans too far into the street, which, in turn, forces plows to plow around the garbage cans. Instead, he said residents who put their garbage cans on the street should push them back to be in line with the existing snow piles at the edge of street. Generally, though, Sandy said it is always better for garbage to be picked up in an alley.
Residents should also have garbage cans out on the street for as little time as possible, meaning they should only be out on the street on pick-up days.
The city's public nuisance ordinance states anyone who "interferes with, obstructs or renders dangerous for passage any public highway or right-of-way" is guilty of maintaining a public nuisance and can be charged with a misdemeanor.
When removing snow from their properties, Sandy also reminds residents not to shovel or blow snow back into the street after a plow has come by.
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City code states: "No person shall ... plow, shovel or blow or permit the plowing, shoveling, or blowing of snow onto a public street in the city, excepting in those commercial districts where property owners have prior permission to deposit snow from the public sidewalk onto a public street. Violation of this provision shall constitute a petty misdemeanor."
Snow emergencies
In the event of a snow emergency, parking is banned on all snow emergency routes for a period of 48 hours. On the first day of the snow emergency, there is no parking on all north/south streets (or streets that predominantly run north and south), all streets lying west of the Mississippi River and all streets south of Wright Street, excluding all streets within the Downtown Special Services District. On the second day of the snow emergency, there is no parking on all east/west streets, or streets that run predominantly east and west, excluding all streets within the Downtown Special Services District and streets that were covered on the first day.
To further facilitate the removal of snow from city streets, the city engineer, in his discretion, is authorized to post "No Parking Snow Removal" signs on any affected streets, and all parking of vehicles, trailers and conveyances on those streets will be forbidden until such time as the engineer removes the signs.
Towing
When a snow emergency is declared, vehicles that are plowed around and in violation of snow emergency regulations will be ticketed accordingly. Vehicles parked and plowed around on Snow Emergency Routes or in the Downtown Special Services District will be ticketed and towed immediately at the owner's expense. Vehicles plowed around on all other streets and not moved within 48 hours after the issuance of the ticket will be in violation of city code and towed at the owner's expense.
Downtown Special Services District
During a snow emergency, there is no parking of vehicles, trailers or conveyances on the streets in the city's Downtown Special Services District, within the area bounded by the railroad tracks on the north, Maple Street on the south, South Sixth Street on the west, and South Eighth Street on the east, between 3-9 a.m. or until the snow has been removed from the street and sidewalks on that block.
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For color-coded maps showing snow removal routes, visit www.ci.brainerd.mn.us/182/Snow-Emergencies .
