Northwest Iowa — November 1st. The day moms and dads have to begin rationing out the Halloween candy to their little ghosts and goblins. It’s also the date when many overnight parking bans go into effect around the area.
If you routinely, or even occasionally, park your vehicle on a city street overnight, you’re going to have to come up with a different place to park, or face a ticket and a fine.
In Sheldon, parking is prohibited on any street in the city between the hours of 2:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. from November 1st to April 1st. Violation of Sheldon’s overnight parking ban will be subject to a citation that carries a $10 fine. The City also asks you to advise any overnight guests of the ordinance, especially during the upcoming holiday season.
In Sanborn, no parking is allowed from 2:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m., year-round, on Main Street. In addition, from November 1st through March 31st, no parking is allowed on any city street in Sanborn from 2:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. Violation of Sanborn’s overnight parking ban carries a $15 fine.
According to Sibley city officials, their overnight parking ban calls for no parking on any city street between 2:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m., from November 1st through April 15th. The fine for violating Sibley’s overnight parking ban is $25.
Orange City officials say that no parking is allowed on any of their city streets between the hours of 2:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m., from October 15th through April 1st. The fine for noncompliance in Orange City is $10.
In Sioux Center, there is no parking allowed on any city street between 2:00 and 6:00 a.m. year-round.
Rock Valley’s winter parking ordinance goes into effect November 1st. It states that parking is not allowed for more than 30 minutes between 2:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. The ordinance stays in effect until April 1st. The fine is $20 per night.
There are a couple of area communities that don’t have an actual overnight parking ban, but do have an ordinance that’s effective when snow falls. So motorists who park on the street need to keep up-to-date on the weather forecast.
Hartley City officials tell us there is no overnight parking ban in that city. However, their ordinance says that vehicles must be off the streets when snowfall begins and must remain off the streets until the streets are cleared of snow. Failure to do so will result in a $15 fine from the City of Hartley.
In Rock Rapids there has been a change in their parking ban this year. The new ordinance now bans parking on all city streets and alleys from midnight to 6:00 a.m. during snow removal operations. The old rule was 2:00 a.m. There is an exception, however. Parking is banned from 2:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. in Rock Rapids’ downtown area, year-round, and there are signs posted to that effect. The fine for non-compliance in Rock Rapids is $25.
You should be aware of the ordinance in whatever town you park your vehicle. Again, if you have overnight guests for the holidays, we suggest that you be a gracious host and advise them of your city’s ordinance, so they don’t end up with a citation and fine.
