Residents, owners and city staff spent more than an hour Thursday debating the future of Pecos’ recreational off‑road vehicle (ROV) ordinance, with many owners urging the council to preserve the permit program and opponents citing safety concerns and youth driving.

Among the speakers, several permit holders described safety upgrades they installed — roll cages, seat belts, windshields and lighting — and said they want to comply with city rules. The police department reported 33 active permits citywide with 12 currently out of compliance; officers said they had issued about 30 traffic stops related to ROV violations and that nine cases were pending in municipal court. The municipal fine range in the ordinance is $2.50 to $500, staff said.

Police and staff noted recurring enforcement issues: juveniles driving ROVs, operation on state highways (Business 20 and Highway 17), unlicensed or plate-less vehicles and repeat offenders. The chief said the department has stopped ROVs for age and safety violations and already has municipal-court cases pending; chief’s remarks included that “if there’s at least 2 or more [violations] … the judge has the ability to … rescind this person’s permit,” language that is already in the ordinance.

Owners urged self‑policing and education, asked for larger permit decals and a matching license‑plate sticker for better visibility, and proposed a stricter three‑strike suspension policy for repeat violators. Council members and staff discussed procedural options including rescinding the ordinance, deferring repeal, or making enforcement changes; one council member moved to bring a repeal ordinance to first reading but no final affirmative motion to rescind was approved. A subsequent suggestion to increase the maximum fine was not on the agenda and was deferred.

After discussion the council took no action to repeal the ordinance; staff and several council members asked owners’ groups to help educate users and to return with specific proposed amendments. The council directed staff to bring any formal ordinance changes back for consideration at a future meeting.