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Draft idling ordinance would limit commercial vehicle idling to two minutes; commenters urge broader scope and more lenient timing
Summary
A draft would prohibit commercial vehicles from idling more than two consecutive minutes, with exemptions for congestion and emergency vehicles; commenters urged extending the prohibition to noncommercial vehicles or increasing the minute threshold and emphasized education and signage over strict enforcement.
Staff presented a proposed ordinance prohibiting commercial vehicles from idling within town limits for more than two consecutive minutes. The draft includes standard exemptions for traffic congestion, emergency vehicles and required maintenance or safety procedures. The proposed enforcement authority is the Bluff mayor (noted in the draft) and a suggested penalty of $500 was included.
At the hearing, one commenter noted that idling by noncommercial vehicles also creates noise and air impacts and suggested expanding the ordinance’s scope. That commenter recommended a longer threshold (for example, five minutes) in recognition of rural contexts and suggested public education and signage as first steps rather than immediate enforcement. The council and staff took public input; no adoption vote occurred at the Oct. 28 meeting.
