Residents press Westminster council for rules on e‑bikes and improvements to worn parks

Several residents at the Feb. 12 Westminster meeting urged the City Council to take steps on e‑bike safety and park maintenance after a string of near misses and visible park deterioration.

Michael Varangia, a resident who said he frequently travels Magnolia, described a social‑media report of a near collision involving a teenager on an electric bicycle traveling on the sidewalk and asked the city to consider regulations including age limits and helmet requirements. “We need to really do something to keep them off the sidewalks, get some type of regulations to control this,” Varangia told council members.

Deputy Chief Weber of the Westminster Police Department said the state’s bicycle rules apply to e‑bikes and that the department already enforces helmet and bike‑lane requirements where applicable. He noted some neighboring jurisdictions have adopted sidewalk‑riding prohibitions or clearer signage and said there is ongoing discussion at the regional level about age limits for certain e‑bike classes. “There are a few things that we could probably do to make it a little stronger,” Weber said.

Tim Hogan, a Parks Commissioner, described near‑miss incidents at Chica Park, including a child nearly struck by a 14‑year‑old operating an e‑bike. Hogan said he is coordinating with schools and police to expand safety education and suggested pilot programs for licensing or registration through schools. “We need to do that — it’s getting heavier, faster and more dangerous,” he said.

Residents also raised park‑maintenance concerns. Roger Mindrum and Terry Raines noted problems at Frank Fry Park — including bare, churned turf, gopher holes and frequent vandalism — and asked for a public meeting in the neighborhood to discuss remediation. Parks staff reported they are aware of the condition, attribute some problems to repeated vandalism and high trash volumes, and said they will investigate re‑sodding, gopher abatement and additional maintenance or signage.

Council and staff response: Council members asked staff to explore policy options and return with recommendations. Vice Mayor Monzo and others recommended more signage and enforcement where statutes allow; Councilmember West asked staff to bring an update on homelessness and street vendors at a future meeting as related operational issues. Parks staff said they will review Frank Fry Park conditions and report back with remedial options.

No new ordinance or regulation was adopted at the meeting; council requested staff follow up with options for regulation, education and enforcement that could be brought back for council consideration.