Columbia Falls council accepts $165,263 MDT DUI enforcement grant; police propose e-motor ordinance after sidewalk crash

The Columbia Falls City Council on Tuesday voted to accept a Montana Department of Transportation grant of $165,263 to fund a full-time DUI officer, overtime for extra enforcement, training and equipment, contingent on the federal funding that supports the MDT award.

City staff reported the grant was approved by MDT and that, if federal funding through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is available, the city will have a funded position and related enforcement resources. Council moved and approved a recommendation to accept the award once federal funding is confirmed; the motion passed by roll call (ayes recorded) and city staff said the position and funds depend on the federal allotment.

Police Chief Steve Stevens briefed the council on a Sept. 11 collision in which a 16‑year‑old male riding an electric motorcycle struck a vehicle at the Parkside Bank ingress on Highway 2. Stevens said investigators found about 38 feet of skid marks on the sidewalk and used stopping‑distance calculations that indicated a minimum impact speed just over 30 mph; Stevens added the rider "was clearly going faster than that." The rider was wearing a helmet and was cited for reckless driving, Stevens said.

Stevens told the council the city lacks precise local code to address a growing number of powered two‑wheel vehicles and that Montana law does not fully address "e‑motorcycle" behavior on sidewalks and paths. He said staff will draft an ordinance for public safety committee review and later for council consideration to: define categories (motorized versus pedal-powered), prohibit motorized vehicles on sidewalks and in city parks, consider speed limits for sidewalks and multi‑use paths, and apply the same restrictions to motorized golf carts and similar vehicles.

The police department has also begun an education-first enforcement campaign for vehicles parked across sidewalks. Officers will issue bright orange warning tabs to inform vehicle owners and seek voluntary compliance before issuing tickets, Stevens said. He reported an increase in traffic visibility and stops in August and said collisions decreased by roughly 25 percent compared with the previous year’s month, an outcome he attributed to increased patrol visibility and enforcement.

City staff proposed forming a public safety committee meeting in the coming days to review an ordinance draft and enforcement options for juvenile repeat offenders; staff discussed possible meeting dates and settled on a posted meeting for Monday the 22nd at 6:00 p.m. (as discussed during the council meeting). Stevens said he had consulted the city judge and other city managers about enforcement options.

Council also heard a city manager report that staff will seek grant funding for additional bear‑resistant trash cans for city parks and will pursue public outreach about wildlife attractants and trash collection timing as part of a bear‑safety effort.