Minutes - 1975/12/22 - Laserfiche WebLink

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-2- Mayor Johnson recessed the regular Council meeting at 8:30 pm and called to order the public hearing on the proposed revision of the snowmobile ordinance, #239. The Mayor explained that there has been a study commission consisting of various municipalities who have met with the county attempting to write a new ordinance which would conform operation of snowmobiles on a county -wide basis. As some of the proposed laws may not be acceptable the municipalities were asked to discuss the new ordinance and to take action, either adopting or denying it. Administrator Achen read Ordinance #239 with its proposed changes. Mayor Johnson asked for questions from the floor or from the Council. He then asked if there was any action to take on the proposed ordinance. Councilman Baumgartner moved that the Council adopt Ordinance #239 and this was seconded by Councilman Hodges. Councilman Shelquist stated that there have been some significant chanBes, ie the right to drive on municipal streets was restored; the speed has been raised to 15 mph; the hours of operation have been changed. Councilman Shelquist then moved to amend Section 202.03 of this ordinance, changing the hours of operation back from 11:00 on week nights to 10:00, and back from 1:00 am to 12:00 on Fridays and Saturdays. This amendment was seconded by Mayor Johnson. The comments were as follows: Councilman Shelquist defended his amendment by stating that people who go to bed early should not be disturbed. Councilman Pickar felt that this would defeat the prose of trying to coordinate from one city to another. From the floor Norm Ekland, who had chaired the meeting to write the ordinance, Vice President of the Ramsey County League of Local Governments, stated that the hours were liberalized as a compromise. Ramsey County will also change the hours in their parks. Hopefully there will be regulated trails that will be maintained so that people will not be disturbed. Many communities will not allow operation on the streets, but possibly through this new ordinance they will be able to operate on the streets just to get back and forth onto these new snowmobile trails. Gary Sward, 1176 44 Greenfield, mentioned that two years of work has gone into the writing of this ordinance and if we don't compromise this will just go on year after year. Councilman Baumgartner said that a part of this new ordinance was to get the people from the streets and onto the trails, but to get from their homes they are going to have to travel on streets. Mayor Johnson asked for a roll call vote. Councilman Shelquist aye Councilman Pickar nay Councilman Baumgartner nay The amendment to the ordinance failed. Councilman Hodges nay Mayor Johnson nay Mayor Johnson asked for questions from the floor on the main ordinance.