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Commission reviews electric scooter/e-bike ordinance language, directs staff to revise downtown sidewalks restrictions
Summary
Police and staff briefed commissioners on proposed city-code cleanup for electric scooters, bikes and other personal mobility devices; commissioners asked staff to tighten sidewalk restrictions on defined downtown blocks, clarify bike-rack parking and parental-responsibility language, and return with a revised draft.
The commission held a broad discussion about electric personal-mobility devices — including e-bikes, scooters and pocket bikes — and a city-code clean-up to align local ordinances with state statute.
Police staff noted many of the operational rules are already in state law, but enforcement challenges persist on Main Street and at parks. The chief described recent complaints and said officers are stopping riders and educating them; he also warned of high-speed e-bikes that can reach unsafe speeds. "I did, include the compliance and parental responsibility and scope," the chief said, explaining the draft seeks to make parents accountable in some circumstances.
Commissioners favored removing outdated bicycle-registration language from city code, restricting bicycle and scooter use on downtown sidewalks (they discussed the 100 blocks east/west around Main Street), and allowing use on walking trails in some non-business areas. Commissioners also directed staff to return with a revised ordinance that defines the downtown/business district bounds, clarifies whether bike racks must be used and removes provisions redundant with state statute. No ordinance was adopted at the meeting; staff will prepare a revised draft for a future meeting.
