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FARGO. N.D. (KFGO) – Fargo Public Works Director Ben Dow says he and Assistant City Attorney Nancy Morris are in the process of wrapping up a new city snow emergency ordinance, aimed at getting parked vehicles off streets that impede snow removal during and after snowstorms.
Dow says the plan will require an emergency declaration by the mayor if at least four inches of snow is expected. The will require all vehicles off of streets. Violators will be fined. The city does not have the capacity to tow all those vehicles.
He told commissioners, “we’re not coming out swinging the bat” ..this is change and this ordinance is going to take time to implement.”
Commissioner Tony Grindberg asked how successful the street parking declaration would be in getting streets cleared. Dow said it’s hard to put a number as each snow event is different but he says storms last winter “definitely would have shaved multiple hours off” snow removal and avoided accidents involving plows and vehicles left buried on city streets.
Dow says the proposed ordinance should be ready for review for city commissioners by next month. The ordinance would be similar to policies used in Minneapolis and St. Paul.