Northwest Iowa — While winter is still a way off, some communities in northwest Iowa have changed what is allowed in regard to their street parking — or they soon will.
Several cities in the KIWA listening area have ordinances regarding overnight parking, especially during the snow removal season. So if you routinely or occasionally park a car on the street overnight, here’s fair warning that you’re soon going to have to come up with a different place to park in most cases.
In Sheldon, motorists are not allowed to park 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 fine, and possibly towing. The actual ordinance is a little more complicated than that. For details, you can contact the city office. The City also asks you to advise any overnight guests of the ordinance, especially during the upcoming holiday season. Sheldon also has certain zones where overnight parking is not allowed year-round. In addition, Sheldon officials ask that people not park on lawns or between the sidewalk and street. You are required to park all vehicles on paved surfaces only. They tell us that not only is it unsightly to park elsewhere, it also creates issues for private utility lines.
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 non-compliance in Orange City is $10.
In Sioux Center, the situation is a bit different. No parking is allowed on any city street between 2:00 and 6:00 a.m. year-round.
Rock Valley’s winter parking ordinance goes into effect on 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. The ordinance does make exemptions for physicians and emergency vehicles.
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. 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 $50 fine from the City of Hartley. That is a change. Last year the fine was only $15.
Rock Rapids officials say their ordinance bans parking “on all city streets and alleys from midnight to 6:00 a.m….” The old ordinance used to say “during snow removal operations.” This year, it has changed to “during any precipitation activity, including snowing, drifting or freezing rain.” 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.
Motorists should be aware of the ordinance in whatever town they are parking their vehicle. Again, if you will be having overnight guests for the holidays or family events such as weddings, funerals, parties, and so forth, 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.
