The ordinances are in the books. Soon, Manteno police may be forced to enact them as a “last resort,” according to Mayor Tim Nugent.
Last year, the police and village came up with some laws regarding parking during days in which there are two or more inches of snow on the ground but have yet to ticket or tow anyone.
Trustee Diane Dole reminded residents about the ordinances at the January 6 board meeting.
“It shall be unlawful for a person to park a motor vehicle on any public street within village limits after a snowfall of two inches or more,” she said. “It is advisable to remove your vehicle as soon as it begins to snow.
“This parking restriction shall be in effect for the entire village during any snow of two inches or more and shall be in effect for a minimum of 24 hours after the snowfall ends and until the street in question is completely cleared from curb-to-curb after the snowfall ends.”
She added that any person in violation could have his or her vehicle towed at his or her expense and possibly face a fine of up to $200.
Last year, the village did not tow anyone. Police Chief Alan Swinford said his officers try to alert offenders first by going to the door or calling them.
“The whole purpose is not to tow the vehicles, it’s to try to keep the streets clear so snow plows can get through,” Nugent said. “It’s a last-resort thing, and it’s certainly not something we want to do and impose the expense.
“But if we have a situation where it has to be moved for one reason or another, this gives us the authority to do it.”
In other winter issues, Dole requested residents keep their sidewalks clear of snow for children’s sake.
“Kids are walking down the street to catch the school bus and, to keep them off of the street, maybe you can hire a young ambitious child to shovel your sidewalks,” she said.
“They can use the money, and you can have your sidewalk cleaned. That would be nice for the kids to walk to the bus. You could be saving a child from danger.”
Hallmark moments
Nugent also said the village’s holiday lights will stay up throughout January. He said the lights are nice and give the village a Hallmark movie-feel to it and wants to keep them up for as long as possible.
More storage
The board approved a contract with Kankakee-based Piggush Simoneau, Inc., for $298,298 to build a cold storage building to store items the Public Works Department is having trouble finding homes for.
The new building will be behind the new Public Works building on North Maple Street.
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