(Spirit Lake)– The Spirit Lake City Council Tuesday evening put the finishing touches on an ordinance regulating E-bikes and other mobility devices. City Attorney-Administrator Gregg Owens says like other cities in the region, the process for Spirit Lake has been slow and methodical, given the complexity of the issue…
“Tonight’s meeting was another good example. We’ve just had a series of continuing discussions trying to work through the ins and outs of what should be a fairly simple approach, but the fact of the matter is it’s not, because there’s such a balance between what may be allowed in certain places like sidewalks and trails versus streets, what ages, what speed, and I think that’s why you see a lot of cities taking a lot of time with these ordinances, so. Had a good discussion tonight, I think I’ve got some direction in terms of what the council wants to see. I think we were 95 percent final as of today and I think we’re probably 100 percent now.”
Owens says among other provisions, it establishes limitations on speeds dependent upon the age of the operator and where they’re operating. A 20 mph limit would be in place on streets for those over 14, with a lower limit for those who are younger. The limit for ALL ages on residential sidewalks would be 10 mph; the limit on multi-use trails, described as 8 feet wide or wider, would be 20 mph. Owens says that was done to be consistent with a speed limit established by the Dickinson County Trails Board. The ordinance would also require those under 14 to wear helmets.
Owens says the primary goal of the ordinance is to serve as an educational tool…
“We’ll be publishing sort of a poster and if somebody wants it in a poster form they can have it, it will be online, spelling out all the various rules and regulations. Once you get it written down it’s pretty simple to see. And the discussion came out tonight, which I’ll pursue at the council’s direction, I think the city is going to have a video produced for educational purposes that would be on the city’s website, would be available for the school to share, and available for anybody to access who’s interested. There has to be some rules but the focus is really going to be on just adapting to use and providing opportunities for education. There’s nothing about this that’s like anything else we do. The city doesn’t need ticket money to operate and never has, and that’s never motivated any decision by the city council.”
The proposed ordinance will come back to the Spirit Lake City Council for possible adoption at their meeting September 8th.
