(Okoboji)– A draft of an ordinance regulating E-bikes and scooters on the Dickinson county trails system and city streets is now complete and ready for consideration by the Board of Supervisors and cities. Okoboji Police Chief Jason Peterson told the city council there Tuesday evening a committee of county and city representatives modeled it after those already in place elsewhere in Iowa…
“Our cities don’t have any ordinances to regulate them. We looked at some other cities around the state and looked at the Chief’s Association to see what other police departments have done and their cities and came up with a draft ordinance, I guess, hoping that maybe we could adopt that here.”
He says the goal is for cities and the county to adopt the same ordinance for uniformity…
“That way if somebody riding from here into Arnolds Park doesn’t have a new set of rules, or Spirit Lake coming to here doesn’t have a set of new rules.”
Peterson says the proposed ordinance stems from safety concerns and complaints…
“There’s been a lot of dangerous behavior, I would say, with some of the kids riding it and, truthfully, some adults riding. I think if we could regulate them a little bit they could make it safer for everybody.”
Councilman Dan Sanders questioned how such an ordinance would be enforced…
“When I’m out on the bike paths and stuff, I never see a law enforcement officer unless the sheriff gives the route riders, the SALT people, the ability to enforce some of these rules.”
Peterson admitted that’s going to be a challenge especially on the more isolated sections of the trails system…
“We’ve got one stretch from McDonalds up to Stakeout Road that we just can’t get onto it.”
He says it will be intended instead to serve as more of an educational tool.
The proposed ordinance will come before the Okoboji City Council for consideration at their next regular meeting August 11th.
