Fostoria committee to review e-bike, e-scooter rules; seeks police input before drafting ordinance changes

The Fostoria Law and Order Committee on an unspecified date voted to approve the previous meeting's minutes and discussed a planned review of the city's ordinances governing electric bicycles and scooters, agreeing to gather more information and consult the police chief before proposing changes.

Committee members said the review will begin with identifying the types of motorized personal vehicles present in Fostoria and checking whether current local definitions cover them. “I quickly became overwhelmed because this is not gonna be a quick fix in my opinion,” said a committee member who had researched neighboring ordinances. That member and others recommended consulting outside participants — specifically the police chief and possibly the school district — to inform any ordinance drafting and enforcement plans.

The committee discussed using the Ohio Revised Code as a base definition and then adding local amendments as needed. “I was gonna suggest, just repealing our local ordinance as is and using the Ohio Revised Code, and then maybe tweaking it to our local needs,” said another committee member. Members noted that any ordinance change would require three readings and therefore that the timing could extend into the winter months, reducing urgency for immediate passage.

During public comment, a resident urged strict enforcement and parental accountability, saying motorized bicycles and mopeds have been operating at high speed near Reservoir Number 2 and on marked paths where motorized vehicles are prohibited. “There’s a tremendous amount of older people that walk every morning… these kids are operating. I don’t believe they were saying we used to be critical of what law enforcement is doing. It can’t be everywhere,” the resident said, and urged ordinance language that would clearly prohibit motorized vehicles on marked pedestrian paths.

Rather than draft language immediately, committee members agreed to a stepwise approach: (1) inventory the types of electric personal vehicles used locally; (2) review current local ordinance definitions against the Ohio Revised Code; (3) consult the police chief and other stakeholders about enforcement and incident reports (including any school reports); and (4) prepare a safety-awareness flyer or campaign for public distribution. A committee member estimated the process could take several months if handled carefully.

Formal actions taken during the meeting were limited to procedural matters: approval of the previous meeting's minutes and adjournment. No ordinance or code changes were voted on.

The committee set a goal to report findings and a proposed plan at its next meeting. The committee's next meeting was noted as Nov. 18 (as stated at adjournment).