North Liberty reminds residents of winter policies

Snow, storms and other winter weather will arrive soon, and the National Weather Service has issued a winter storm watch, with the potential for four to eight inches of snow, for the area beginning Friday night.
The City of North Liberty reminds residents that snow emergencies go into effect automatically when there is snowfall of two inches or when one is declared by city administration. The goal of the city’s snow ordinance is to allow North Liberty’s streets to be cleared efficiently, so travel is safer and melting snow can drain quickly.
When a snow emergency is in effect, on-street parking is prohibited; cars can be ticketed every 12 hours or towed. More information about snow emergencies is available at northlibertyiowa.org/snow.
The city will notify residents of declared snow emergencies by posting on the city website, Facebook page, and Twitter profile. It will also appear on NLTV, available in North Liberty on Mediacom’s channel 5 or South Slope’s channel 268, and other local stations and news outlets.
Additionally, residents are asked to clear snow from their sidewalks to keep the sidewalks passable by pedestrians, strollers, wheelchairs and bicycles. Citations can be issued for sidewalks that are not cleared within 48 hours of a snowfall.
Residents can help avoid the buildup of ice and melted snow by clearing around storm drains near their homes. The snow in these areas often builds up into ice dams, preventing melting snow and ice from draining away.
Residents are also urged to clear snow from around fire hydrants located in their neighborhoods to allow fire fighters easy access. Since a house fire can double in size every 17 seconds, having unimpeded access to hydrants can make a significant difference in the event of a fire.