City makes little progress on snow ordinances
Regarding accumulation of the white stuff, it has been a record-setting winter for Hazen and the surrounding area. And the Hazen city street crews are left to deal with the aftermath of each storm. Snowfall after snowfall has at times filled all 40 miles of city streets before Hazen city street personnel have had the chance to clean them all. An early November storm dropped nearly 10 inches of wet, heavy snow on the streets. The snow caught many residents unaware – and left the street crews to weave around parked vehicles that lined many city streets. Fewer vehicles lined streets following the past few snowfalls, City Foreman George Quast noted – but to some extent, the problem remains. So the Hazen City Commission has eyed the law books, looking to clarify a few of the city’s snow ordinances. As it reads now, city ordinance 3.0211 states: "Whenever, in the judgment of the governing body (city commission) or street commissioner (Mike Peterson) of the city, it is necessary that streets, alleys, or public ways in the city be cleared of snow or ice or be cleaned by the use of street sweepers or other methods of cleaning such streets, or for marking for traffic purposes, the ordinances of the city regulation the parking of automobiles, trucks and other motor vehicles shall be suspended and it shall be unlawful for any automobile, truck or other motor vehicle to be parked or left standing during the period of time during which the said parking ordinances are suspended."
