Ask the Chief

I know many of you don't want to think about it, but snow will be here soon and that means Snow Emergencies.

What is a Snow Emergency?

Well I’m glad you asked. Whenever we believe that we will receive enough snow that plowing will be done we declare a Snow Emergency which prohibits all vehicles from being parked on the street.

We recognize that it’s an inconvenience, but by having no vehicles on the road we are able to do a better and faster job removing snow.

We also save a great deal of tax payer money by not having to go back and re-plow streets where vehicles were left on the road. As part of our efforts to provide the best service possible, we have established the following practice when declaring a snow emergency:

1. All Snow Emergencies will be declared by 4 p.m. via Facebook — City of Minneota Government and Police Department, Nixle (call city hall about signing up for this free service) and the radio stations when possible.

2. Plowing and enforcement will begin at 4 a.m. the following morning. This means you have a very generous 12-hour warning to find off street parking. All vehicles found on the street at 4 a.m. will be cited. Your vehicle may be towed if needed.

3. The Snow Emergency will be lifted as soon as I receive word from the Minneota Street Department that they are done plowing. In most cases, we are done by the afternoon. Although possible, it is rare that a snow emergency will last multiple days.

When the Snow Emergency is cancelled, we will notify you by Facebook, Nixle and radio (when possible). Please plan ahead and stay informed by following us on Facebook and Nixle.