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Yerington council adopts off-highway vehicle ordinance with alternate route; Lopez votes no
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Summary
The council approved Bill No. 434 to add an Off-Highway Vehicles chapter to the municipal code and adopted an alternate route that shifts access to Center Street and limits Goldfield Avenue access; the ordinance passed 3-1 with Councilman Omar Lopez opposed amid public concerns about process and transparency.
The Yerington City Council on March 23 approved Bill No. 434, an ordinance adding a chapter to the municipal code to permit off-highway vehicle (OHV) routes, adopting an alternate route that routes traffic via Center Street and limits Goldfield Avenue access from Main Street to North Mountain View Street.
City Manager Jerry Bryant said the alternate map was developed in response to council input to address prior concerns about traffic backing on Main Street and congestion at Highway 339 and West Goldfield Avenue. Councilmember Matthew Galvin moved to adopt the ordinance with the alternate routing; the motion passed by a recorded vote of 3-1, with Councilman Omar Lopez voting in opposition.
Dave DeGrendele, a member of the public safety committee, told the council he opposed the alternate map because it had not gone back to the committee for review and questioned the legality of changing the map during the public meeting. City Attorney Chuck Zumpft responded that the meeting had been properly noticed and that the council had the authority to adopt the change.
Resident Robbin Biggs raised concerns about transparency in how the alternate map was introduced. No further amendments were made during the meeting.
The council’s approval implements an alternate OHV route consistent with the Yerington Master Plan goal of attracting outdoor recreation while seeking to reduce traffic conflicts on Main Street. The ordinance was adopted by a 3-1 vote; the council did not specify additional mitigation measures in the motion beyond the route change.
Next steps: The ordinance will be codified into the municipal code per standard procedures; staff and the public safety committee may be expected to monitor traffic and safety outcomes once OHV routing is established.