(Atlantic, Iowa) – A regular meeting of the Atlantic City Council takes place Wednesday (Nov. 20th) at City Hall, beginning at 5:30-p.m. Among the discussion/action items on their agenda, is the First Reading of an Ordinance “Amending the Code of Ordinances of the City of Atlantic” by “Amending Provisions Pertaining to All-Terrain Vehicles and Snowmobiles.”

In his meeting notes, City Administrator John Lund reports Iowa Senate File 2130 was developed in response to a 2020 survey, asking ATV and UTV riders what they would like to see changed in Iowa law, to better support riders of those vehicles. The survey results determined riders wanted to ride on more County and State roadways in all 99 counties, under a uniform State law. Cities were then left to create their own rules, but were not allowed to charge permitting fees.

Lund says the City of Atlantic’s Community Protection Committee met last August to review the options for adopting an ordinance regarding the use of ATV’s and UTV’s on city streets, and has reviewed and recommended to the Council an amended ordinance, which includes:

• A 1-year sunset for the ordinance, which will end after that year, if there are no issues.
• A cut-off of 18-years (similar to what the City of Ankeny has).
• ATV’s and UTV’s must have a working horn, headlamps and tail lamps, but will not require turn signals.
• A subsection will be added to the ordinance, which disallows towing by ATV’s and UTV’s.
• The ordinance exempts Park employees from being forbidden to operate the machines on City property.
• It includes a section of the existing snowmobile ordinance and clarifies when police officers can issue citations addressing any related violations.
• And, at the request of Atlantic Police Chief Devin Hogue, the amended ordinance states that ATV’s only be allowed for the purpose of snow removal during the snow season.

In other business, the Atlantic City Council is expected to approve a pay application to Hydro-Klean, LLC for the 2024 Sanitary Sewer Rehabilitation Project, and act to approve a related resolution accepting the work for the project and Ultra Violet CIPP (Cured In Place Pipe) Lining Project.