Council approves first reading of ordinance to close uninsured‑driver enforcement gap

May 6, 2025 — The Rawlins City Council approved first reading, by recorded vote, of an ordinance amending municipal code section 10.15.070 to address enforcement for drivers who operate motor vehicles without required liability coverage.

City Attorney Miss Penida told council the existing municipal ordinance largely mirrored state law but omitted enforcement language covering non‑owner drivers; she said officers and the municipal judge identified the gap. “Although the current ordinance penalizes owners of motor vehicles operating without liability coverage, it failed to include enforcement mechanisms for non owner drivers,” Miss Penida said. The proposed amendment was presented as a remedial clarification to close that loophole and align local enforcement options with the state framework.

Lieutenant Price of the Rawlins Police Department described the operational impact: the change would allow officers to take enforcement action against a driver operating without coverage rather than limiting enforcement to the registered vehicle owner, which officers said can create practical challenges when the operator is not the registrant. Price said the amendment restores an enforcement option police previously exercised before the prior ordinance change.

The ordinance received a first‑reading vote and passed the first reading with three affirmative votes. The vote record in the meeting minutes identifies Mayor Pro Tem Steve Sanger, Council member Bruce Siloff and Council member Terry Pattison as voting aye; the motion passed 3–0 for first reading per the minutes. The city attorney provided a redline of changes and referenced the corresponding state statute (Title 31, Chapter 4, Section 103 of the Wyoming Statutes) in the packet. Council did not approve final adoption at the May 6 meeting; the ordinance will return for subsequent readings per the municipal process.