RIVER FALLS — An electric bicycle and scooter ordinance that defines, regulates and places equipment mandates on the vehicles went through its first reading and public hearing at the June 24 River …
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RIVER FALLS — An electric bicycle and scooter ordinance that defines, regulates and places equipment mandates on the vehicles went through its first reading and public hearing at the June 24 River Falls City Council meeting.
After calls and complaints about the use of electric bicycles and scooters in areas of heavy pedestrian and vehicle flow, an ordinance was drafted to address the concerns. Police Sergeant Denton Anderson presented the ordinance to the Plan Commission back in February, along with since approved bicycle and ATV/UTV ordinances.
The original ordinance was stricter than that of state law, requiring an operator’s permit for operation.
“We decided to walk that back because that would exclude a lot of people from being able to operate an e-bike,” Anderson said.
Class 1 electric bicycles would be welcomed on any sidewalk that allows bicycle use, Class 2 and 3 electric bikes would be prohibited from use on city sidewalks. Electric scooters could be used on sidewalks and bike paths that allow bicycle use. City documents define electric bicycle classes as follows:
By law, each electric bicycle would require a sticker to identify what class they are.
“Operators of a Class 3 electric bicycle on City roadways, sidewalks, or bike paths must be 16 years of age or older,” city documents state. “No person less than 12 years of age shall operate an electric scooter on City roadways, sidewalks, or bike paths except that persons 8 through 11 years of age may do so during daylight hours if accompanied by an adult capable of remaining close enough to ensure the safe operation of the scooter by such child, such as by walking or running alongside, using their own electric scooter or bicycle, or engaging in a similar activity. This provision is intended to permit the usage of electric scooters by families.”
The ordinance would also establish equipment and lighting requirements for electric bicycles and scooters.
“Every person using electric scooters between one-half hour after sunset and one-half hour before sunrise shall have the scooter equipped with a lamp firmly attached to the front of such electric scooter exhibiting a white light to the front, and with a reflector or a lamp mounted on the rear of the vehicle visible at a distance of 500 feet. The reflector shall not be less than one and a half to two inches for rectangular models or three inches in diameter for round models,” the ordinance reads.
Matt Johnson of The Garage Bikes+Brews said every bicycle sold at their store meets the reflector requirement, and that the ordinance would affect bikes that are not street legal.
City Administrator Scot Simpson said other cities have started to adopt these ordinances over the last 10 years.
“We have two to three officers on at any given time, so we’re not creating a bike and scooter enforcement task force anytime soon,” Simpson said. “There’s going to be very few of these instances where we test it out, but it gives a tool now for officers when things that they see are a clear abuse of nature to the community.”
Wetland Ordinance
Senior Civil Engineer Chris Buntjer presented the first reading of amendments to the wetland protection ordinance. The Department of Natural Resources recently audited the city’s municipal separate storm sewer system, which included ordinance review.
“The audit found that our wetland ordinance wasn’t as stringent, because it only applies to the shoreland zone, it doesn’t apply to wetlands outside that shoreland zone,” Buntjer said.
There were five proposed changes to the ordinance, making regulations apply to all wetlands, not just shorelands, adding the DNR definition of a protected area which includes buffer requirements and adding impervious surface regulations in those protected areas.
Shorelands in the city are largely the 200 feet adjacent to the Kinnickinnic River.
“The effects on developers would be the same on the city. The city would still need to get the same wetland permits from the DNR, regardless of our ordinance,” Buntjer said. “It’s mostly the DNR’s effort to make sure that cities are also reviewing projects with these requirements in mind.”
The proposal was reviewed by the Plan Commission and city staff, both giving the council a recommendation for approval. The second reading and vote will come at the July 14 meeting.
Other business
Public comment
Resident Cameron Nelson spoke about the pride flag that flies at City Hall during the public comment portion of the meeting.
“It became clear that this was put up in an effort to include members of our community and not to exclude anyone. That being said, I think it has inadvertently excluded a large swath of our religious population. That would include Muslims, Jews and our huge Christian population,” Nelson said.
Nelson said the community has been discriminated against but so have the communities of many religions.
“River Falls has been, by far, the most welcoming and inclusive place I have ever lived, and that’s not because I saw a Christian flag waving in front of City Hall, although I would certainly feel included by that gesture. It’s because of the people of River Falls,” Nelson said. “I defend the right of every member of the council to wave whatever flag they would like in front of their own house, but this being the people’s house, I would encourage us to find pride in the stars and stripes sitting behind you, as well as the 1848 Wisconsin flag… as well as the River Falls flag.”
Resident William Hansen spoke in support of protecting the Junction Falls Dam years into the future.
“When rain comes like this, three great floods come to mind to me: the biblical flood of Noah, the Johnstown flood of 1889 in Pennsylvania and the River Falls heavy rain event of June 9, 2020,” Hansen said. “It’s hard to compete with the almost total destruction of humanity described in the biblical town of Noah.”
Hansen said when the Powell Falls Dam faced minor damage, the direction was taken to drain Lake Louise, which he claimed resulted in the deaths of many turtles that sought refuge there during the winter for over 100 years. He said electric rate payers lost electricity production, and that city officials should not allow the same thing to happen at Junction Falls.
Dana Linscott representing the River Falls Alliance for the Homeless said the group is making strong progress, but they are still looking to expand low-cost, subsidized housing. Linscott said they have gotten to the point where they are ready to meet with city leaders to see if they can make something positive happen together.
“I think it might be time to start looking at it a little bit more seriously and have some communication with the city, or at least informal discussions with the city to start checking off what’s possible and what isn’t possible,” Linscott said. “If we can narrow it down, we’ve got a much better chance of moving forward quickly.”
