A Mill Creek resident urged the City Council on Sept. 2 to address what he described as a surge of reckless riding by electric motorcycles that is threatening pedestrians and families on sidewalks.

The complaint came during the council’s public-comment period and prompted the mayor and council members to ask the police department for an update and enforcement plan. Mill Creek police said the vehicles meet Washington’s legal definition of motorcycles and that officers have been instructed to enforce the state rules that govern motorcycle operation.

Jay Rowe, a Mill Creek resident, told the council he and other neighbors had recently experienced repeated close calls with riders on electric motorcycles and asked the council what steps the city could take. “I stood in front of him, stopped him, and admonished him for his behavior, and his response to me was, ‘f you, old man,’ ” Rowe said. He described one incident when his wife pushed their grandson in a stroller and a rider popped a wheelie and did not stop.

Why it matters: Rowe said the behavior is widespread in his neighborhood and that residents fear the situation could lead to injury. The council responded by asking the police department to brief the body and by noting that similar municipal ordinances—cited by residents as examples—might guide local action. Mayor Holtzclaw told Rowe the council shared his concerns and that a police presentation on the issue was coming later in the meeting.

Mill Creek police explained the legal basis for enforcement and described the department’s immediate approach. “We use the term e‑motorcycles frequently. And under the definition of a motorcycle, there is no real — if it’s a combustion motor or an electric motor, it doesn’t change anything,” Chief White said. He told the council that, under Washington law, motorcycles require the appropriate license and endorsement from the director of licensing.

The discussion clarified three practical points: (1) officers will treat motorized electric motorcycles as motorcycles under the Revised Code of Washington (RCW) for purposes of licensing and rules of the road; (2) enforcement options at the city level are constrained by state statute, so council members said they may also seek state legislative help; and (3) no council ordinance was adopted at the Sept. 2 meeting—police enforcement and possible state outreach are the current responses.

Council Member Steckler asked Chief White to present the department’s enforcement approach to the community because several residents were present in chambers. Mayor Holtzclaw additionally said the city may call on its state senator and representatives to consider legislative changes in the next session.

The meeting record shows no formal council motion or vote tied to new local legislation on the issue. Instead, the police department reported an internal enforcement directive and the council discussed possible state-level advocacy and further public outreach.

Rowe asked specific questions about local adoption of rules similar to those in Bothell, timetables for implementation, consequences for reckless riders and their parents, liability in accidents, and insurance coverage; those questions were placed on the record and no definitive legal or insurance conclusions were given during the meeting.

The council indicated it would hear more from the police department in future meetings and consider whether to seek state assistance; no ordinance or council directive was passed on Sept. 2.

The city did not provide a timeline for any legislative outreach or a drafting schedule for a local ordinance during the meeting.