[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",5976897,"mediaKeyId","5834697-a7a970f0087abbfdaac88a8f491035b4","parentId",5834697,"title","South Lyon debates e-bike rules, including 10 mph trail limit and juvenile penalties","audioSeconds",1842,"startMs",1865000,"endMs",3707000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5834697-a7a970f0087abbfdaac88a8f491035b4&start=1865&end=3707","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5834697-a7a970f0087abbfdaac88a8f491035b4/thumbnail_1865000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/5976897/South-Lyon/Oakland-County/Michigan/South-Lyon-debates-e-bike-rules-including-10-mph-trail-limit-and-juvenile-penalties","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5976897-7ced6e32c1e31ed65fa7ac151c0da78c/orig.mp4?Expires=1775704233&Signature=k5qNePrRAtCci~M1QcR43ygf7p-C5ajjnmDaEFZ91PSdS4VUszOo3F2cEPyxfpYnpByP~qcgNFGPIUWcF-cQflI8NXbOGeFK702NeR-LeVc~6XgcroeTaXY~AyvBbl6HZ0orcxFOpYYjrIKpYORBJSnQlSsswXfF7X2qrLY1FBYsJW0Jx32fi2WDnG15wxtXOifgnjVaMjpumbdj7~u5cnoZRDV5pIDxr2bux-VqlRdc2NooqmGD85B7q4RcFVetRoj8fc8CheHDTeGVWI0Ooo6YEDHpqzgXAU6eh2jwkZZt45LZhwpZU7cRZO7V0YiEuLnzGVCIDo-1HLreo8u1Ug__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of South Lyon","date","2025-09-23T00:00:00Z","article","City Manager Paul Zelnick opened the council’s discussion of a proposed e-bike ordinance Sept. 22, saying staff and the city attorney prepared the draft to respond to a large increase in electric bicycle and scooter users and related safety concerns. The proposal would define Class 1, 2 and 3 electric bicycles and electric skateboards, set a 10-mile-per-hour limit on nonmotorized trails, prohibit electric bikes on downtown sidewalks and make certain violations misdemeanors. The council did not vote; members asked staff to revise the ordinance and return for further review.

The debate drew multiple public comments both for and against strict limits. Denise Simeon, a resident and parks commission member, urged a speed limit and signs asking riders to give audible warnings when passing, saying a rider on an e-bike zipped past her without warning and “I give my strong support for a speed limit on the trail and also throughout town.”

Several other residents said e-bikes have expanded mobility and access. Dave Richter, who said he has ridden an e-bike about 12,000 miles on local and out-of-state trails, warned against overly broad restrictions that would reduce safe riding opportunities for people who rely on pedal-assist devices. “If you start taking away e-bikes on the trail … I wouldn’t have the capability to ride a bike,” he said. Erica Wilde, a parent, said misdemeanor penalties as drafted could criminalize typical youth activity: “My 14 year old straight-A student in jail. Is that not ridiculous?”

Council members focused on several recurring points: the 10 mph limit on linear trails, where staff said other parks and communities use similar limits; whether downtown sidewalks should remain pedestrian-only; how to handle motorized off-road “dirt bikes” that lack pedals; equipment definitions (the draft references classes of e-bikes and wattage caps for electric skateboards); and whether failure to wear helmets or certain juvenile violations should be punishable as misdemeanors.

Councilmember Dilke said she supports creating a citizen advisory group to help shape rules and asked staff to reconsider punitive elements. Councilmember Hanson voiced safety concerns and defended a misdemeanor for some violations, telling colleagues that helmet enforcement and age limits could prevent severe injuries. “A class 3 electric bicycle shall not be operated by an individual less than 14 years of age,” City Attorney Hamami read from state law during council discussion, citing the Michigan statute cited in staff materials.

Police Chief Unruh and other staff said current practice has emphasized education and that the city has issued few formal citations to date. Staff told council that the Michigan Vehicle Code already restricts electric-bicycle use on sidewalks and that the local ordinance draft repeats some state requirements to make them easier for residents to find in one place.

Council members asked staff to clarify or add the following in the next draft: the ordinance’s relationship to the Michigan Vehicle Code, a clear definition and treatment of throttle-only electric vehicles and off-road electric dirt bikes, whether wattage caps are enforceable, the proposed juvenile age cutoffs and the proposed penalty structure, and signage and education plans. Councilmember Kurzweil and others asked staff to solicit input from teen riders and local retailers before returning the ordinance for adoption.

The council did not take a formal vote on the ordinance Sept. 22. Staff and the city attorney were directed to fold public input into a revised draft and return it to council for further consideration at a future meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","South Lyon City Council September 22, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","City Manager Paul Zelnick opened the council’s discussion of a proposed e-bike ordinance Sept. 22, saying staff and the city attorney prepared the draft to respond to a large increase in electric bicycle and scooter users and related safety concerns.","taxTitle","South Lyon, Oakland County, Michigan","taxId",3723,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},5976886,"Council approves consent judgment with Adams Outdoor to remove park billboard after clarifying dates",489,3784000,4273000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5834697-a7a970f0087abbfdaac88a8f491035b4&start=3784&end=4273","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5834697-a7a970f0087abbfdaac88a8f491035b4/thumbnail_3784000.jpg","/articles/5976886/South-Lyon/Oakland-County/Michigan/Council-approves-consent-judgment-with-Adams-Outdoor-to-remove-park-billboard-after-clarifying-dates","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5976886-483cd347279c784c697d905e8fb5beef/orig.mp4?Expires=1775704233&Signature=H4mnhcH6U7O1Ug0H78lwhDNRWmaowpKC-wHCpNTorXij-E-jtQfn4nkDkbQE1FYZM5AA15Y9DyB5vvpUCSjPZwc2v8p43jCP3X-hjIB2pnt4frU5uC6k8U2qimCIwz3369TioFQGU75PYc50Czv7qG~ocMl98c4auQ8k~8CdYfFDQCGanSIaUFq-CpXoZw86PryGGiHSdJASn1EuXASHde5mGmmzziX3k0~YYKgDTMQ3nikKr1I5xq4X~y0qCDxpGtfmb1bERuo4iGsPq5dJOF5EOEioRqmDT2O1MGmiipBwx7321XeA2fZjZczCndnFvBrdZx2OhllltACN6~Zeag__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The South Lyon City Council approved a consent judgment Sept. 22 with Adams Outdoor Advertising that sets terms for removal of a billboard located on city park property and clarifies the parties’ lease dates.

City Attorney Hamami told council the attorney for Adams Outdoor agreed to the substance of the consent judgment and suggested two clarifying edits to avoid future disputes: define the five-year extended lease term as running from the expiration of the last renewal term (which staff noted had expired March 31, 2025) and replace a reference to a five-year period later in the agreement with the newly defined \"extended lease term.\" Hamami said the changes were intended to make the timeline “crystal clear.”

Councilmember Hanson moved to approve the consent judgment as amended; Councilmember Kurzweil seconded. The item passed by roll call vote. City Manager Paul Zelnick and staff advised council the amended judgment would be filed before a scheduled motion hearing later in the week to avoid further litigation tasks.

Councilmembers also discussed prior conversations with the billboard company about the sign face and the city’s ability to review and approve replacement artwork; the final agreement requires the city manager to approve replacement panels so the city retains some control over displayed content and imagery on the structure pending removal.

The revised consent judgment will be filed with the court after the typographical cover-page date was corrected and the clarifying language added as requested by the city attorney.","Council voted to approve a consent judgment requiring Adams Outdoor Advertising to remove a billboard on city park property, with staff amendments clarifying lease renewal dates and a clerical cover-page date correction; the agreement was entered to avoid further court motion practice.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},5976891,"City awards water service line verification contract using EGLE grant funds",110,3670000,3780000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5834697-a7a970f0087abbfdaac88a8f491035b4&start=3670&end=3780","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5834697-a7a970f0087abbfdaac88a8f491035b4/thumbnail_3670000.jpg","/articles/5976891/South-Lyon/Oakland-County/Michigan/City-awards-water-service-line-verification-contract-using-EGLE-grant-funds","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5976891-65d002e5b5f64574da52cc47b2de42dc/orig.mp4?Expires=1775704233&Signature=JrHuIyloplpjMozfbMK23q-fgYl7MMYvzu-PU4tWSpt8BGtlwydAw62WEKze8OBC13JBruLfeGeKg7maZ5-dQcRhD2hkyETaFDsdJxiSOEY7m6uNbagd49dz~k9OjkjYd9WylNJPux90-l6BzF4ziSlzsewc2fP0mqEn-Rh9xarGFHIzO-56TP~Z3JNfw4qkkeZSDekYU3BgQp1nPbfrmRpfpTJ6xBMH3JSiG4HK-xdMKpVoKky3jMxt~iUTJWqlHi0-eJrvAWkSmfII0kF2mvJumXsRkOEIWA3yMhjOM4iWqPEWfQAvvFg97wcW5cAbHH~lNiph568WwNk53QfGGQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","South Lyon’s city council voted Sept. 22 to award a contract for water service line material verification to Dukes Root Control for $108,532. The city plans to pay the contract from an existing grant of $384,530 provided by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE).

City staff said the city received six bids and recommended Dukes Root Control based on the company’s field office operations in Plymouth and prior work for the city. The project was described in staff materials as verification of the composition of water service lines, a step commonly used to identify and replace lead service materials.

Councilmember Hansen moved to approve the award; Councilmember Kibble seconded. The vote was unanimous by roll call.

City Manager Paul Zelnick said the city engineer and Ron Beeson were available to answer technical questions, and he noted that Dukes Root Control’s team previously worked with the city on sewer videoing and cleaning. Council members asked about the disparity in bids; staff said the city’s engineering consultant reviewed references and field staffing and recommended the low, responsive bidder.

The city will proceed with the verification work once the contract is executed and the contractor mobilizes to the field.","Council approved a $108,532 contract to Dukes Root Control to verify water service line materials; the work will be paid from an EGLE grant awarded for lead service line material verification.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

South Lyon debates e-bike rules, including 10 mph trail limit and juvenile penalties

Council approves consent judgment with Adams Outdoor to remove park billboard after clarifying dates

City awards water service line verification contract using EGLE grant funds