Council hears plan for one-year micro-mobility pilot with geofencing, $35,000 annual fee

Economic development staff presented a micro-mobility pilot proposal that would place geofenced corrals downtown, implement no-ride and slow zones, and use vendor software to change zones remotely for events and safety. The vendor arrangement staff discussed would be a one-year initial agreement with a fixed right-of-way fee rather than a complicated revenue-share model.

"We started with a $20,000 sort of shared revenue model... the team came up with more of what we call a right of way fee... we talked about with Spin ... 35,000 a year," Economic Development Director Steve Weathers said, describing the proposed fee structure and a one-year term that could be renegotiated.

Council members repeatedly raised safety and routing questions: one councilmember warned that a corral site located south of Martin Luther King Boulevard, if not paired with safe routes and infrastructure, would be "a death wish for anyone that's trying to cross MLK," and asked staff to tighten zones in consultation with police and engineering.

City Attorney Ali and staff said they would draft agreements to shift and indemnify liability to the for-profit vendor "as much as we can," while acknowledging some risk remains and that enforcement and education (helmets, workshops, and police presence) would be part of the program.

Council did not approve a contract at the workshop; members asked staff to run equipment demonstrations for council and directors, coordinate with downtown businesses and public-safety staff, and return with a formal ordinance or agreement for a future vote.