The Franklin City Council will considered the introduction of an ordinance that would levy fines and jail time for people who drive through flooded streets and send water into homes and businesses.
The ordinance, which was up for introduction at Tuesday’s council meeting, would set penalties of up to $500 and/or up to six months in jail for violations. If it is introduced tonight, it will be up for final adoption at next month’s meeting.
It would make it illegal for anyone to operate a vehicle or boat on any street that is flooded. “Flooded” means covered with water from the center line to the edge of the street, or when water covering the street extends into the yards of any business or home on the street.
There are exceptions: law enforcement and residents of the street may travel on the street. Residents, however, can’t go around barricades and must operate their vehicle at the lowest possible speed required to keep it moving, and can’t create a wake that causes damage to any adjacent property.
The ordinance also holds people convicted of the crime responsible for damage they’ve caused, and it allows for prosecution of the violation with proof that the accused owned the vehicle and that the vehicle violated the ordinance.
Here’s the ordinance if you’d like to read it for yourself:
