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Snow Emergency & Snow Removal Just a reminder with snow plowing season starting in November, a snow emergency automatically goes into effect when 2 inches or more of snow (as measured at the MinneapolislSt. Paul Airport) has fallen. Under a snow emergency, no parking on any City street is allowed until that street has been cleared to its ful1 width. Violators will be ticketed and towed. Check cable channel 12 or KDWA 1460 AM if you are not sure if a snow emergency is in effect. For snow removal operations, the City is divided into six zones. The Street Department assigns its five dump trucks with plows and sanders attached, and the motor grader to these six zones. The remaining snow removal equipment; three pickup trucks with plows attached and two front end loaders with plows, clear alleys, cul-de-sacs, City facilities, and the downtown area. Within each snow removal zone there are priority streets which are always plowed first. Some of these streets are: Cannon St., General Sieben Dr., Pine St., Pleasant Dr., Ramsey St., River St., Tyler St., Westview Dr., East 2nd St., 15th St., 31st St. and 33rd St. A normal snowfall takes eight to ten hours to clear, with City crews typically starting snow removal operations at 5:00 a.m. Another reminder: City ordinances require property owners to clear snow and ice off of sidewalks abutting their property within 48 hours after each storm. In addition, ordinances also prohibit blowing or shoveling snow back out into the street. (The same ordinance prohibits raking leaves out into the street.) Water Meter Replacements The Utilities DqJartmentis close to completing a project to replace all residentia1 water tIlfters with new electronic read meters, started in 1990. The new electronic read meters allow the meter reader to insert a probe into the meter reading device attached to the outside of homes and automalically record the meterreading into a small computer canied by the meter readeI: All the meter readings are then electronically ttansferred to the Finance Department's water billing computer at the end of the day. This new process saves time and eliminates potential errorproducing steps from the old system where a meter reader would write the meter reading on a card, and the Finance Department would then have to type this infonnation into theircomputeJ: Volume I The Utilities Department changes out most of the meters during the winter season. If you find a notine hanging on yourdoorfrom the Utility Departmentnotifying you that your water meter needs to be replaced, please call the Utility Depamnent at437-3922 to scheduJe an appointment If needed, the Utility Department will schedule times on weekends or after nonna! worldng hOUlS to replace your meter: There is no charge to the homeowner for replacing a water mete1: Snowmobile Corridors With the winter season upon us, all residents are reminded of the importance of complying with the various regulations regarding the operation of snow- mobiles. The City ordinance is written with the intent to provide corridors for snowmobiles to exit and enter the City, as no recreational snowmobiling is allowed within the City limits. Snowmobiles may be operated on the following streets, which are provided as corridors for snowmobiles to exit and enter the City: . 10th Street between Highway 61 and Highway 291 . 4th Street, West to State Street, North to 1st Street, West to the City Limits . Pine Street between 2nd Street and County 47 . Ramsey Street between 2nd Street and 18th Street . 15th Street between Tyler Street and the West City Limits . 18th Street between Highway 61 and Pine Street . Pleasant Drive between County Road 42 and County Road 47 Travel on any other street is prohibited unless leaving the City limits or returning to the operators' place of residence. Snowmobiles cannot be operated in the following areas: . Public sidewalks . Boulevards within any public right-of-way . Private property or any other without the specific permission of the property owner . Any trails, walk paths, bike paths or alleys . Within any ponding basins . Within any City park, except the boulevard area of Roadside Park up to a maximum of 50 feet south of the centerline of Highway 55 . All school property . All City property . Lake Rebecca . Ditches of state highways and county roads except as allowed by State Law and County Ordinance. Page 6