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Citizen Committtee- Snowmobile February 15, 2001Ron Zaclunan started the meeting by explaining to the mayor We the cormmittee is in terms of developing recommendations for the City Council regarding resolutions to the snowmobile issues. Rather than come up with an ordinance that can't be enforced, we discussed the recommendations that had made in the previous three committee meetings. The reconunendations were categorized: l . Improving the City Ordinance 2. Things for City to do 3. Things for the Snowmobile Club to do 4. Snowmobile Club/City to do Category 1 (City Ordinance) • Rewrite current ordinance to make it more understandable -this will be done at a later date, once all the recommendations have been reviewed. • Hours of travel need to be changed. • Complete ban in specific areas • Require snowmobiles to ride on roads in residential areas • Prohibit riding in right of way • If there is a curbed street, snowmobiles must ride in the street - leave some snow next to the curb. • Require an orange flag on snowmobile • Include ATVs in the ordinance • There must be something included in the ordnance that it is OK that the snowmobile club can have a checkpoint Category 2 (things for City to do) • More articles in the Otsego View, Provide copies of ordinance, list of fines and trail map in direct mailing to all residences • Next year send out ordinance m a summary form, trail map, list of fines, phone numbers • Wright County courthouse can provide the fines. • Include the City Ordnance should on Plexiglas boards located throughout out the City. • Mail the Ordinance in an envelope, indicating it is an official letter from the City. • In the mailing, include the phone numbers of who to call for what problem (e.g, DNR, Wright County dispatch) • In new residence package, add Ordinance, list of fines. • Mail the Snowmobile Ordinance to residents in November, right before first snow. • Indicate when does the trails are open or closed, • Send out information indicating snowmobiling classes occur (give priority to Otsego residents). • hi the newsletter, indicate where maps are available. • Note: there is always room in the Otsego View for articles • The word needs to get out that there is an active snowmobile club in Otsego (possibly in the View). Enforcement issues: • More hours of patrol, special officers who patrol on snowmobiles, Nuisance violations. • Snowmobiles need to be forced to stay in ditches • Also, get barricades out of ditches, • Vern - there should be a time when you put up fences and take them down. Category 3 (Snowmobile Club) • They could possibly have box of maps displayed. Currently, they have one behind Plexiglas, • Signs indicating there is an ordinance in effect would be located at the entrance points to the city (such as Parish/CTY Rd 42) • Signs such as a picture of snowmobile with an X could be used to keep snowmobiles from going off the trail, • The Snowmobile Club could pass out ordinances. • hiclude the ordinance within the Plexiglas (where current map is located). • More signs could be made for posting ordinances, maps. • Post the ordinance in banks, Tom Thumb, possibly Godfathers • literature needs to be place or handed out where snowmobilers are NOT supposed to be (if they are on the trail, they are where they are supposed to be). • Put ordinance along with the maps at Tom Thumb. • Have something written in the Otesgo View about the seriousness of what is happening - if they don't shape up, they could loose their privileges). • Locate "Snowmobile Ordinance Enforced" signs on/below speed limit signs, • also place signs in ditches along roads (such as Parrish Ave). • Have snowmobile speed limit signs posted throughout the city. • The City should clear the bike path • Snowmobiles can't ride on the boulevard • Place "no Motorized Vehicles" signs on new paved trail along Odean Ave. • Vern - not sure what they are going to do. They may buy signs, but need to ask the city engineer. • CIuU will volunteer to put signs up along bike path. • In the summer, motorized vehicles should be banned from the bike path. • Re-route trails where possible (this is an ongoing process). Checkpoints: • City to work with the Snowmobile Club to have check points at various locations. • Rotate checkpoints. • On the trails, there would be trail maps. • Club members could carry maps, ordinances on them for distribution. Vern -there needs to be a clause in the ordinance rewrite that the club can approach people on the trail (they can't do this legally unless on a trail), • Note - the Snowmobile Club can't legally stop anyone. • A banner could be displayed when they are checkpoints • hnvite deputies to sit with them at checkpoints Holding training classes at Otsego City Hall: • Have training classes more than one time per year. • Possibly use snowmobile test on "wheels". • Manpower is an issue. • Have training in fall, prior to snow (fresh in minds). • City Hall can be used. • In the Otsego View and the Newcomers Packet, advertise when and where the training class will be held in Otsego. Have law enfo►•cement officers speak at schools: • Monticello school does an assembly. • Parks and Rees. would let them know if there is someone who can speak (Jay will check out). New sheriff is Jerry Miller, Category 4 (Snowmobile Club and the City) Establish trail head parking: • Possibly use the city hall area to park • High density areas could drive to parking area. • Have a parking location where they don't need to go through residential areas. • Establishing a trail from park and ride could be a problem. • Can the "Park & Ride" be for usage by only the residents of Otsego? • Vern - a new development, near City Hall, is in the planning stages. It might be possible to leave easement for trail. • Park and ride at one end of the city and the other. The following are Harts of conversation, other than specific to one of the above categories. Vern - in the new developments, the only place to go is on the street. Ron - a flyer should be sent that reflects snow mobiling could be bamied if you disobey rules (such as Elk Rivers). Scare tactic. Jay - it is difficult to go 10 miles per hour. Jay - I feel it is important to continue to go through the re -write of the ordinance, Ron -the only way he would agree to go through the ordinance is if when we come back next year, there is a clause we come back to city hall for a ban. Tom Carter - We need to discuss solutions, Then write ordinance, ? - if he doesn't understand it they can't follow the rules, they need to understand - it is part of education. Ron - we can't re -write them unless we know what we want to say. ? - we are saying that whole night that we went through the ordinance, we got a lot done. Chip -remember the ATVs looking fora place to ride. Tom Constance - separate issue - the ATVs aren't going to go on the trails in the suimner time. The farmers will have their fields planted, Vern -the no ATVs" is in our current ordinance. Cannot be operated in platted areas, Ron - Question to the group, Do you understand where we are coming from? The non- snowmobilers are willing to give the club an opportunity to come up with a solution. Jay - My philosophy was we should come up with a new ordinance to submit to City Hall. Ron - We need to present a re -written suggestion with solutions. Vern -Wright Cowity Sheriff will present a workshop (open to the public) to discuss law enforcement. Also, a workshop to present the recommendations to City Hall. Two meetings. More time to look at this after these meetings. Anytime there has been a citizens conunittee, the council has been more involved. Tom Constance - in Sherburne Cty the reserves can write tickets (with training), Ron Z - We should be able to get this done in two more meetings. NEXT MEETING ON 3/1/2001 (we will meet every other week).