Winter parking ban in effect

LACONIA — The city’s winter parking ban is now in effect. 

The parking ban, effective from Nov. 1, prohibits parking of vehicles and trailers on public streets from midnight through 6 a.m. The arrangement allows for public works employees to plow snow piles back against the curb, and clear snow from the streets while there is little traffic.

Vehicles parked on public streets during those hours could be ticketed or towed at the discretion of the chief of police or director of the public works department. The fine for parking on public streets during that time period is $25.

For residents of downtown, a dashboard parking pass program allows for overnight parking in city-owned parking lots during nights without snow. The program, run through the city’s public works department, distributes the passes to landlords downtown and homeowners. Residents of downtown units should coordinate their parking pass with their landlord or property manager.

On nights where there is snowfall and public works crews need to plow the city’s streets, public works leaders will notify downtown businesses, landlords and property managers whether residents should park in the parking garage or in another city-owned lot. This arrangement allows crews to plow all of the city lots other than the one being used for overnight storm parking — frequently, the city-owned lot on Church Street — and then return to plow which lot is used for parking at a later date.

Public Works Director Wesley Anderson determines whether residents are to park in the garage or a city lot depending on the specific circumstances of any given storm. 

For more information, visit laconianh.gov/951/Parking.