Commissioners consider public hearing to decide ATV access request on county portion of Lake Moxie Road

County staff presented an application — submitted by an authorized agent of the Lake Moxie ATV Club — requesting that the county open 2.2 miles of the county portion of Lake Moxie Road to ATV use. Staff recommended a public hearing and asked commissioners for direction on timing and notification.

Commissioners generally supported holding a hearing rather than summarily dismissing the application. Several commissioners said the hearing should be part of a regular January meeting rather than the organizational meeting to ensure broader participation and due process. Staff recommended at least 30 days’ written notice to property owners along the affected stretch.

Discussion focused on trail operations and seasonal restrictions. Commissioners and staff noted that many ATV trails overlap with snowmobile corridors; when ATVs operate outside permitted seasons or on groomed snowmobile trails they can damage grooming and raise safety concerns. A commissioner asked whether seasonal prohibitions on ATV use also apply to paved roads included in trail networks; staff answered that the prohibitions would apply.

Commissioners stressed that the process must be formal and appealable if the county takes action to change access rights. One commissioner summarized the view: if the board intends to consider the application it should schedule a hearing; if it will not consider it, staff should dismiss the application.

Next steps Staff was directed to schedule a public hearing on the application with at least 30 days’ notice to adjacent property owners, to place the hearing at a January meeting date (not the organizational meeting) and to return with public-notice language and logistics for the hearing.

(Reporting note: statements paraphrase and quote from staff presentation and commissioners’ on-record remarks in the meeting transcript.)