By Chad Ingram

Published Nov. 22 2018

With snowfall in the county beginning in earnest last week residents maywant to remember that if their parked vehicles interfere with snowremoval operations those vehicles can be towed.

Councillors on Haliburton County’s roads advisory committee reviewed the associated bylaw during a Nov. 14 committee meeting as it was updated with namesof current roads department staff  who are recognized as enforcementofficers able to issue notices.
“So essentially what we do is we’ll put a notice on the windshield and/orknock on the door to say move your car or worst case we’ll have totow it and then contact the police as well” county public worksdirector Craig Douglas told committee members.

“I’m just wondering about the timing of that” said Algonquin HighlandsDeputy Mayor Liz Danielsen. “If you put a notice on the car . . . ifthat’s a one-time thing or . . . what process do you follow before youtow it away?”

“Since I’ve been here we’ve never towed a car” Douglas said. “If it’s really a danger then we would have to do that. Honestly we’ll put a noticeand another notice and try to do everything we can before we tow it. Ihaven’t had to make that difficult decision.”
He said notices are typically issued within villages “where you’re trying to plow against a curb and you have cars parked there overnight.”
Douglas said residents are usually quite accommodating once they’ve been asked to move their vehicles.

“It isn’t exclusive just to winter” Minden Hills Mayor Brent Devolin saidof parking issues referencing the problems Minden Hills has been having with people accessing the Queen Elizabeth II Wildlands Provincial Park leaving vehicles parked along township roadways in such a way that they obstruct traffic. Concerned residents recently made presentations toMinden Hills council The park is currently non-operational which means it has no facilities such as parking lots which leaves visitorsleaving their vehicles wherever they please.
“If it doesn’t go operational in Minden Hills we will become a lot moreaggressive” Devolin said. “We have some zones that are problematic and we will take a more aggressive hands-on approach.”

Dysart et al Deputy Mayor Andrea Roberts wondered if the county issued fines with the notices.

“The car is removed and impounded and essentially they’re paying to get it back” Douglas said.