Purchase this image
If the two early season coatings of snow weren’t enough to remind village residents, maybe the warning tickets were.
Residents on some village streets who left cars parked on the street might have woken up to a little pink slip of paper under their windshield.
Police Chief Ernie Bassett Jr. said the winter parking ban started for winter 2011-2012 and soon Granville officers will be handing out real tickets.
“We issued warnings for the first week or two, then after that we start issuing the real thing,” Bassett said. “We’ll start to enforce that pretty soon.”
The winter parking ban for the village requires all vehicles be off of village streets between the hours of 11 p.m. and 5 a.m.
Not just when it snows, but every night.
The reason for the law is simple, Bassett said. The village department of public works needs time to get the streets cleaned up after snowstorms without obstructions created by cars left parked along narrow village streets.
It keeps plows away from cars and vice versa.
Although it might not snow every night, the local law requires vehicles to be off the streets each year between those dates regardless of the weather outlook.
More problems crop up for drivers leaving a car along one of the more narrow sections of roadway in the village like North Maple Street, Bassett said.
If the DPW can’t get through, and the vehicle remains in the way they’re going to make a couple of calls – one to the police department and one to the towing company.
“(People are) also subject to towing if the vehicle is a hindrance – your vehicle could be towed at that point,” Bassett said.
If making life easier for the DPW is not a concern, the wallet might be. Impound fees start at $50 depending on variables such as the time of the tow and where the vehicle gets picked up, haulers said. In short, you will pay to get your car back.
Drivers ticketed for violating the winter ban face a ticket with an initial cost of $25 for the first offense, but that amount rising for additional violations of the ban.
Because the winter parking law in a local law, village clerk treasurer Rick Roberts said they are not subject to court surcharges as with state law violations such as speeding.
Granville police will not be waiting for the next storm to nab violators.
Bassett said officers issued more than 50 warnings since the start of the parking ban Nov. 1 and they will not be giving further warnings.
The ban continues until April 1.
Comments
Read more in this week's Sentinel in newsstands now or click here to read right now with our e-edition.
VPR commentator entertains at Slate Valley Museum
By Jaime Thomas About 75 people gathered at the Slate Valley Museum Thursday evening to listen to Vermont Public Radio [...]