Harlan City Council passes ordinance prohibiting parking on public streets during snow emergencies

The Harlan City Council approved the third and final reading of an ordinance amending the city’s snow removal regulations during its meeting Tuesday, February 17, following discussion from council members, city staff and residents.
The ordinance, titled “AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF HARLAN, IOWA, BY AMENDING PROVISIONS PERTAINING TO SNOW EMERGENCY VIOLATIONS,” revises Section 69.12, Subsection 2 of the city code.
The amended ordinance states, “In the event of a snow emergency, as set out in the snow and ice control program, no person shall park, abandon, or leave unattended any vehicle on any public street or alley during any snow emergency unless the snow has been removed or plowed from said street or alley and the snow has ceased to fall. During a snow emergency, parking is prohibited on all streets unless the cleaning operations have been completed, but parking is allowed in City-owned parking lots during a snow emergency.” The ordinance will become effective after final passage, approval and publication as provided by law.
Before the vote, city officials acknowledged receiving feedback from residents, some of whom were in attendance.
“We appreciate those emails,” said Council Member Troy Schaben, who served as Mayor Pro Tem for the meeting during Mayor Jay Christensen’s absence.
“We’ve had people complaining about the current one we’ve had in place now,” said Councilmember Kyle Lindberg. “That it’s confusing to follow, ‘We don’t know when to follow it. We don’t know when to move our car. We don’t know where to put our car.’”
“Last snow we had, we ended up towing 11 vehicles. So it’s been a topic of debate,” he said.
“When you work in city government you can’t make everybody happy,” he said. “So we, as elected officials, have to look out for the best of what it is for the city itself in its entirety.”
Council members emphasized the challenge of balancing efficient snow removal with the needs of residents and downtown businesses.
Street Superintendent Jeff Musich outlined how snow removal currently operates.
“Right now when we have a snow emergency, it’s north, south from 8 to 12, and 12 to 4, east and west,” Musich said. “When we leave the shop at 5 o’clock in the morning, all the trucks are out. We’re going north, south, east, west, right off the bat. So when it comes time, we get all the routes done, all the trucks fall off, then we start hauling snow. We got one truck to cover the whole town.”
Musich said a full no-parking approach during declared emergencies would simplify operations.
“It just makes total sense if we have snow emergency, no parking on any street. Everybody’s off the street. We get our job done. Soon as the streets are clear, you come back and park,” he said. “I think if this is passed, you’re not going to have as many tickets. You’re not going to have as many towing. All around, just, you know, there’s a lot of talent to do it. And it works. That’s all I can say. If we pass this, it’ll just be better for everybody.”
He added that downtown is typically cleared early in the process. “If it’s a big snow, we’ll have the maintainer. If not, we’ll have three trucks up there putting it together in a one-way road. And, you know, by eight o’clock, if somebody’s got to park in a parking lot, by eight o’clock, they can get their car and park back on the street as long as it’s parallel parking.”
Council members also compared Harlan’s proposal to policies in neighboring communities, including Atlantic, Avoca and Denison, noting that many cities prohibit parking on public streets during declared snow emergencies until streets are cleared.
Concerns were raised about residents who do not have driveways or easy access to off-street parking, as well as individuals with disabilities who may have difficulty relocating vehicles during a snow emergency. Discussion also centered on public parking availability, particularly downtown.
“Is there enough public parking for these people around the square? Because the public parking that during the day is normally pretty full,” asked Councilmember Jennifer Kelly. “It’s not a bad problem to have, but obviously it’s a bad problem when the snow comes in.”
Officials acknowledged confusion about which lots are city-owned and discussed improving signage, maps and public education. Suggestions included publishing parking maps, updating the city website and utilizing notification systems such as Alert Iowa.
The need for education and communication with the public was repeatedly emphasized by the council and residents in attendance.
“Education is key,” Lindberg said, noting that once residents become familiar with the ordinance, they will hopefully remember where they can and cannot park.
Kelly said that if the ordinance passed, it could be reviewed after the next snow emergency.
After discussion, Lindberg made a motion to approve the ordinance on its third reading, which was seconded by Councilmember Richard Petersen. The motion was approved by roll call vote, with council members voting “aye.” With final approval granted, the updated snow emergency ordinance will take effect following publication as required by law.
Following the vote, Schaben thanked residents for their input. “Thanks for the feedback. I like the respectful approach. Change is an opportunity for improvement,” he said.
In other business, the council reviewed and approved the three-year solid waste and recyclables haulers license bid. After discussion about cost savings and service, the council voted to continue granting the bid to Kroger & Son LLC. Councilmember Sharon Kroger abstained from the vote.
A multi-purpose permit application was approved for Tiny Lund, which will extend the noise ordinance until 2 a.m. Friday, Sept. 18, and Saturday, Sept. 19.
The council passed a resolution to approve a construction contract for grading work with Christensen Bros. for the river access project. Parks Superintendent Tim Miller said the project is funded through DNR and DOT grants. “It will be a nice addition,” Miller said.
A resolution was also passed authorizing an acoustic enhancement project at Veterans Memorial Auditorium. A public hearing was set for Tuesday, March 3.