Northwest Iowa — Even though we don’t like to think about it, winter is right around the corner, and with it comes snowfall. Several cities in the KIWA listening area have ordinances on the books regarding overnight parking during snow removal season.
In Sheldon, Police Chief Lyle Bolkema says that motorists are not allowed to park on any street in the city between the hours of 2:00 am and 6:00 am from November 1st to April 1st. Violation of Sheldon’s overnight parking ban will be subject to a citation that carries a $10 fine. Chief Bolkema also urges Sheldon residents to advise any overnight guests of the ordinance.
In Sanborn, there is no parking allowed from 2:00 am to 6:00 am, 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 am to 6:00 am. Violation of Sanborn’s overnight parking ban carries a $15 fine.
In Sibley, City officials say their overnight parking ban calls for no parking on any city street between 2:00 am and 6:00 am, from November 1st through April 15th. The fine for violating Sibley’s overnight parking ban is $25.
Orange City Police tell us that in their city, no parking is allowed on any city street between the hours of 2:00 am and 6:00 am, from October 15th through April 1st. The fine for noncompliance in Orange City is $10.
There are a couple of cities in our area that don’t have an actual overnight parking ban, but do have an ordinance that’s effective when snow falls.
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.
Rock Rapids officials say their ordinance bans parking on all city streets and alleys from 2:00 am to 6:00 am during peak snow removal times. The fine for non-compliance in Rock Rapids is $25.
Motorists should be aware of the ordinance in whatever town you live. If you have overnight guests for the holidays, please be a gracious host and advise them of your city’s ordinance, so they don’t end up with a citation and fine.
