Council tables proposal to authorize volunteer restoration of Riverdale bike trails amid liability and maintenance concerns

Mayor Mitchell opened an action item on March 4 asking the Riverdale City Council to consider a volunteer-led effort to restore mountain‑bike single‑track trails on city‑adjacent property.

Mike Staton, coach of the Bonneville High mountain bike team, told the council he and local volunteers could “restore the connectivity of that trail” at no cost to the city and would follow International Mountain Bicycling Association guidelines. Staton said the trails, once popular with beginners because they lacked steep elevation, were partially obliterated when Eagles Landing Apartments LLC cleared portions of adjacent land and that “more than 5 miles of winding single track trail was disrupted.” He proposed restoration work in a few weekends and offered to coordinate maintenance by the mountain‑bike team.

City staff and councilors voiced legal and operational concerns. A staff member identified in the meeting as Brooks said ``technically, right now, you're trespassers,'' and raised the risk that the city’s insurer could deny coverage if the council formally recognized trail use. Public works staff noted unauthorized trail construction had previously affected wetland areas and expressed concern about chainsaw and heavy‑equipment work happening without coordination. Councilors also cited the city’s new park‑use policy and the difficulty of treating informal trails consistently with other users and groups.

Staton proposed a mitigation approach: have public works walk the route to flag required changes, keep chainsaw or heavier work separate from volunteer days, and have the ad hoc active‑transportation committee sponsor the project so the Bonneville team would act as a maintenance partner. He said the ideal timeframe for volunteer restoration work would be “the last Saturday in April and the first Saturday in May,” giving roughly two months to finalize details.

Councilors said more facts were needed before any authorization. Councilor Arnold moved to table action on the Riverdale bike‑trails proposal to allow staff to consult the city’s insurer, clarify liability and maintenance responsibilities, and confirm whether any restoration would affect wetlands or other protected areas. The motion was seconded and carried; the roll call showed yes votes for Councilor Arnold, Councilor Stevens, Chancellor Richter and Councilor Hall. The mayor stated the motion “passes either unanimously or 4 to 1,” reflecting audio issues for one councilor during the roll call.

The council instructed staff to research insurance implications, whether the league’s trail‑maintenance insurance would apply, the city’s obligations under its park/use policy if the area is recognized, and to coordinate a site inspection with public works. Staton and his supporters said they would remain available while staff completes that review.

The council did not approve any immediate restoration work or formal recognition of the trails and left any future action contingent on insurance and public‑works signoff.