After another big snowfall, UW-Platteville declared its sixth Snow Emergency for Parking and second resident hall parking lot removal this winter.

The National Weather Service reported Grant County received seven to 12 inches of snow during the two-day storm, which resulted in Chancellor David Markee closing UW-P at 2 p.m on Feb 6.

A campus SEP is determined by the director of student housing, the chief of police, and the building and grounds manager.

An accumulation of two to three inches or more of snow or ice warrants a SEP.

SEP requires students to park on even numbered sides of the streets during even dates and odd numbered sides of the street during odd dates. This occurs over a two day period between 2 to 6 a.m. on University Plaza, Greenwood Avenue and College Drive. A longer period may be designated to clear the streets if needed.

In order to clear the streets while a SEP is in effect, students can park their cars in the residence hall parking lots with a parking permit, the correct side of the street or in the Jay Street parking lots across from Russell Hall.

“When we clear the streets off it is important for students to pull as close as possible to the curb so that we can plow wide enough for cars to go through,” Steve Cullen, building and grounds manager, said.

The current SEP is in the second year of a two-year probationary period to change the City of Platteville ordinance.

The previous SEP required cars to be parked on alternate sides of the street for 138 days. This meant only one side of the street was available for parking each night around campus. The Residence Hall Association went to the city council and recommended the ordinance be changed in order to make parking around campus easier during the winter months.

“Losing half of the spots for 138 days during the winter is a lot, especially when we didn’t get much snow during that time,” Rhonda Viney, director of Student Housing, said.

The City of Platteville used to plow the streets while the alternate side parking was in effect. Now the grounds crew plow the streets during the new SEP.

“When people don’t move their cars it makes for a frustrating time,” Cullen said.

A SEP also requires students to remove their cars from the parking lots around the residence halls during scheduled times of the day.

It takes about three days to get the residence hall lots cleared out.

When a SEP is declared, it is posted on the Student Housing Web site, notices are delivered to all residence hall mailboxes, fliers are posted at all hall entrances and exits, an e-mail is sent out to all university students, faculty, and staff, a public service announcement is broadcasted over WSUP radio and Channel 5 TV, and notices are distributed to apartment buildings and private residences along the three roads.

Ticket prices have also increased because of the new ordinance. Tickets for parking on the wrong side of the street during alternate side parking were $10. Now they are $50. From Dec. 3 to Jan. 24 there have been 252 tickets issued.

In 2007, SEP was declared five times between Jan. 23 and March 6, and 122 citations were issued.

“If you have a car on campus, it is your responsibility to know and comply with parking procedures,” Viney said. “We try to help students know where to park. When they don’t move their cars, the lots don’t get cleaned as good and it wastes time for personnel.”

UW-P, like several other areas, is running low on salt due to the increased snowfall.

“We’re over our allotted amount,” Cullen said, “we are holding on to the salt amount we have until we can get some more.”

Salt prices have spiked due to a shortage, making it difficult and costly to buy more. UW-P is using small amounts of salt in high traffic and icy areas, and making sure other areas are completely clear.

“If you don’t have contracted salt you’re out of luck and you’re paying for it,” Cullen said.

The grounds crew has seven full time employees and seven part time student employees working for them.

“There are several mornings where we come in at 3 a.m. to plow the streets,” Cullen said. “We’ve put in good 14-hour days,”

The amount of work that has needed to be done this winter has been showing on the employees and the equipment.

“This year’s really been a real test on the equipment. It’s showing its age,” Cullen said.