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Willard adopts winter parking ordinance after council narrows enforcement language
Summary
The Willard City Council voted to adopt Ordinance 2025‑09, updating winter snow‑removal and street‑parking rules; the council added staff direction to clarify that enforcement would focus on parked vehicles that impede snowplows and to align the wording with existing street/right‑of‑way language.
The Willard City Council voted unanimously April 24 to adopt Ordinance 2025‑09 regulating snow removal and on‑street parking during winter months.
The council approved the ordinance after several councilmembers and staff clarified its scope and enforcement approach. Councilmembers asked staff to add “city right of way” language and to make enforcement contingent on whether a vehicle “impedes snow plows,” with an initial warning followed by citation or towing for repeat violations.
Why it matters: Council members said the change aims to preserve passable streets during heavy snow while avoiding enforcement that would be impractical in subdivisions with constrained driveway space. The measure establishes a clearer, operational standard for public works crews and police officers enforcing winter rules.
Key points and debate Council discussion focused on two practical questions: whether the ordinance should prescribe a fixed distance (one councilmember had previously proposed a six‑foot buffer) and how to define the area that may be used to push snow (pavement edge vs. the broader city right of way). Payton (public works) and councilmembers described wide variation across subdivisions; some streets have wide unpaved right‑of‑way that can receive plowed snow while older sections have narrow pavement with limited off‑pavement space.
Councilmembers supported an enforcement approach that captures parked vehicles only when they “impede snow plows.” Several said the first offense should receive a warning tag and subsequent violations would carry citation or towing. Jordan (councilmember) moved to approve the ordinance “as is” after the council agreed to direct staff to add right‑of‑way clarity and to check for conflicts with an existing 48‑hour storm‑parking rule in another municipal code section.
Vote and follow up Jordan made the motion to adopt; Mike seconded. The roll call vote recorded Rod aye, Mike aye, Rex aye and Jordan aye; the motion carried. Council asked staff and the city attorney (Colt) to locate any other parking ordinances that might conflict and return with a consolidated proposal or a repeal of conflicting sections at the next meeting.
Ending Councilmembers said they intend to enforce the ordinance with discretion to avoid towing vehicles that are not actually blocking plowing operations. Staff will prepare a revised version or clean‑up resolution for the next meeting to ensure consistency across parking and nuisance code sections.
