City Council Approves Snow Emergency, Public Service Day Parking Ordinance Change

Two ordinance changes to help the city of Dearborn comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act were approved at Tuesday night's City Council meeting.

The amendments will affect the city's ordinances on parking restrictions and public service days, and requires that residents not park in such a way that their car blocks the sidewalk on public service days, or during snow emergencies.

The reasoning is that blockage of the sidewalk makes safe passage difficult or impossible for some residents with disabilities.

Both changes were adopted unanimously by the council.

"In order for city of dearborn to comply with ADA act, we need to change our ordinance on public service and snow emergency days," Council President Tom Tafelski said. "The city was notified and corporation counsel recommended that we prohibit parking over the sidewalk at all times."

Prior to this change, residents were permitted to block sidewalks during those times. This was due mostly to the fact that some residents do not have adequate driveway or garage space on their property to keep their vehicles during snow emergencies and on public service days.

Both situations require that cars be off the streets completely.

Public service days have ended for the season, and will resume in April.

Snow emergencies are generally declared whenever the city accumulates three or more inches of snow in a short period of time, requiring plowing by the city. So far, no snow emergencies have been announced this winter.

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