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Council debates updates to e-bike and e-scooter rules, asks staff for refined draft and education plan
Summary
Council discussed a proposed amendment to Chapter 70 to address electric bicycles and scooters, focusing on enforcement, helmet rules for minors, classification by state statute and education. Staff were asked to research other municipalities and return with a revised ordinance next month.
The council opened a broad discussion about updating its bicycle and scooter ordinance after members reported seeing more e-bikes and scooters downtown and on social media.
Staff (Jesse) said he integrated draft language from neighboring communities and flagged blue-line edits in the packet. He noted state statute has updated definitions (electric scooters are no longer classed as 'play vehicles'), so the city’s ordinance needs explicit e-bike and e-scooter language. The chief and staff highlighted enforcement limits tied to state classifications.
Council members raised recurring concerns: high sidewalk speeds downtown (and safety risks for businesses with doors opening), difficulty enforcing helmet rules, whether to ban gas-powered mini-motor vehicles, whether to require classification checks at bike-licensing time, and the desirability of partnering with schools for rider education. One member suggested reserving helmet mandates for under-18 riders if the council elects to add that requirement into city code.
The council did not adopt an ordinance tonight. Instead, members asked staff to (1) refine the draft language with clear class definitions, (2) check statutory constraints on gas-powered vehicles and helmet mandates, (3) gather examples from nearby communities (Green Bay and others were cited), and (4) return next month with suggested amendments and an education/outreach plan.
