Wellington resident urges loosening of mini-bike ban; trustees ask staff and sheriff's office to study options
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Summary
Candace Joynt told trustees she supports revising the town’s ordinance to allow gas-powered mini bikes under strict safety rules; Trustee Teets asked staff to review Berthoud’s regulations and consult the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office before returning with options.
Candace Joynt, a Wellington resident and mother of four, used the public-comment period at the Jan. 13 Board of Trustees meeting to ask the board to revise the town’s ordinance that prohibits gas-powered mini bikes and similar small motorized vehicles inside town limits.
"Today, I'm asking the town ordinance regarding mini bikes be revised... I'd like the revised bill to allow gas powered mini bikes and similar small vehicles to be ridden within city limits with strict regulations," Joynt said, explaining that her son and other local teens build and ride mini bikes in garages, learn mechanical skills and ride responsibly with protective gear.
Joynt proposed rules including required protective gear, off-limits roads, muffler silencers, no riding after dark and headlights. She said a deputy whom she spoke with after a recent stop encouraged her to bring the matter to the board and had suggested looking at regulations adopted in nearby Berthoud.
Trustee Teets referenced Joynt’s remarks during board reports and said she supports exploring options that balance safety and constructive activity for young people. "If we can make some of these rules work with instead of against [the kids], then we're seeing less kiddos popping up in our courtroom and more kiddos working alongside trying to figure out how to do this successfully," Teets said. Teets requested staff follow up with the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office and report back on other towns' approaches, specifically noting Berthoud's rules.
No ordinance change or drafting direction was formalized during the meeting; board members welcomed further information. The scouts in the audience noted they were observing the meeting for a civic merit-badge and said the mini-bike/ebike topic would be part of their project.
The next procedural step recorded was for staff to receive inquiries and for trustees to await a staff report or LCSO guidance before any draft ordinance or formal action is brought back to the board.
