Supervisors approve first reading of ATV/UTV trail ordinance at regular session held in Harpers Ferry
by Joe Moses
The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met in regular session Monday, April 25 with a meeting split between two locations to accommodate the large crowd expected for a scheduled public hearing in regard to an ordinance for ATV/UTV use on County secondary roads. The first part of the meeting took place in the Ethel Robinson Meehan Community Center in Harpers Ferry with around 100 individuals in attendance, a majority of them in favor of the proposed ordinance which would allow ATV/UTV use on County gravel roads during a designated timeframe throughout the year.
Prior to that public hearing, just one public comment was heard to open the overall meeting, Waukon resident Dennis Blocker commenting that in distributing information about Monday’s meeting being moved to Harpers Ferry, he had heard several comments that holding such meetings in different communities throughout the county was a welcome idea. Board of Supervisors Chairperson Larry Schellhammer explained that such a situation presents itself from time to time and could be considered on a more consistent basis if it would prove to be a feasible option.
Monday’s change in location also allowed the Supervisors to tour the Dolores Tillinghast Memorial Library in Harpers Ferry, something the Supervisors try to do with each of the public libraries within the county that the Board approves funding for. As part of Monday’s meeting, the Board took a 15-minute tour of the facility to learn about some of the things that are made possible by the County’s funding.
In other regular business, quarterly reports from the County's Environmental Health, Veterans Affairs and Sheriff's Departments, along with Manure Management Plans for Cyclone I (Weymiller) and EB Ag, were approved. The liquor license for Empty Nest Winery of Waukon was also approved by the Board.
NEW EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATOR
Dave Monserud of the Allamakee County Emergency Management Board advised the Board of Supervisors that 14 applications had been received from qualified individuals for the Emergency Management Coordinator position to fill a vacancy left by the resignation of Chris Dahlstrom, and that five candidates were chosen for interviews. Monserud further advised that the position has been offered to and was accepted by Corey Snitker, who then introduced himself to the Board and those in attendance.
Since his graduation from Waukon High School in 1985, Snitker has 20 years of experience with the military including seven years with the U.S. Marine Corps and 13 with the National Guard. He had also served as a Deputy Sheriff for six years with the Crawford County Sheriff's Department before returning to his native Allamakee County several years ago.
PUBLIC HEARING ON ATV/UTV USAGE
The Board set May 16 at 9:40 a.m. for the public hearing for the Fiscal Year 2016 budget amendment as one final order of business before the scheduled ATV/UTV ordinance public hearing. A total of 22 individuals provided comments during the ensuing public hearing, with just four of those speaking against the ordinance. During his public hearing comments, the aforementioned Dennis Blocker presented the Board of Supervisors with a petition of support for the ATV/UTV ordinance containing more than 600 "legitimate" signatures.
Harpers Ferry resident Dean Anderson, one of several members of the Allamakee County ATV group that initially addressed the Board on ATV/UTV road usage in late 2014 and also helped organize a special-permitted ATV Bluff Ride around the Harpers Ferry area last year, mentioned that the Bluff Ride involved over 200 participants and generated $5,000 in revenue. Anderson said that initial ride had received a positive response overall, with no negative comments heard, and involved participants from 10 counties in Iowa as well as participants from Illinois and Wisconsin.
Several others who spoke during the public hearing also discussed the positive economic impact that the ATV ordinance could have for the county. Val Reinke, Executive Director of Allamakee County Economic Development, expressed that from a tourism perspective, "it is important that we find niche markets like this to encourage people to visit and in turn spend money here in Allamakee County. In many ways, this is similar to those who enjoy motorcycles, hunting or fishing within our state.”
Safety was the major concern mentioned by those speaking against the ordinance, citing an increase in the potential for accidents with the more non-traditional roadway use of such vehicles, especially within the hilly, winding terrain of Allamakee County roadways. Area native Phillip Hammell, who recently returned to the area after completion of a military career, was the first to speak against the ordinance, bringing up concerns of the responsibility of enforcement for regulations addressed in the proposed ordinance, as well as the additional wear and tear of such vehicles on gravel roads and safety concerns, citing that the ATV industry, itself, does not recommend such vehicles for road use. Hammell suggested that more input be received from additional sources before a decision be made on the ordinance.
Gerene Denning, Director of Emergency Medicine Research at the University of Iowa and co-author of a study on all-terrain (ATV) fatalities on paved roads, unpaved roads and off-road, said that special-permitted rides and other non-roadway trail systems could provide the added economic benefit to the county without opening up its residents to the added safety issues of ATV usage on roadways. Rural mail carrier John Rotto expressed his same concerns about ATV usage endangering not just ATV users but more traditional motorists on the unique roadways of rural Allamakee County that he had originally expressed to the Board during an earlier regular session.
In one final opinion against passing the ordinance, rural Hanover Township resident David Anderson suggested that the final paragraph of the ordinance should include wording to say the ordinance “shall” be reviewed on an annual basis, rather than “should,” making it mandatory to revisit the ordinance each year. In his final comment for consideration, Anderson also questioned how visitors from outside Allamakee County will know what roads within the county will be designated for such trail use.
Both in response to opposing concerns expressed, as well as in general, several in attendance addressed the safety aspect of ATV roadway use, many saying that applying common sense and respect in ATV usage on roadways would be paramount to the positive success of such an ordinance. ATV and outdoor enthusiasts, both local and from outside the county, presented their perspectives on how the responsibility for the privilege of using County roadways for an ATV/UTV trail system rests on the shoulders of those riding the vehicles.
Several local health professionals also offered their views on safety concerns of ATV roadway usage, including Veterans Memorial Hospital CEO Mike Myers, who noted just one ATV fatality in Allamakee County in the past 10 years and looks at the opening of roadways to ATV usage as an opportunity to economically capitalize on the success of the initial ATV Bluff Ride and also supplement the economic loss the County will feel from the closure of the Blumenthal Lansing plant recently announced in Lansing. Veterans Memorial Hospital Emergency Medical Services Supervisor Jeff Mitchell also presented a letter written by local physician Dr. Andrea Venteicher, who expressed her views in support of such ATV usage, citing opinions that most ATV riders traveling in the local area will be driving at safer, slower speeds in an effort to take in the beauty of the local landscape, as well as how she feels that being able to ride ATVs throughout the county can be a “gateway” to more people enjoying the outdoors.
Harpers Ferry volunteer firefighter Gerry Weis, noting that he was speaking only for himself and not for the Harpers Ferry Fire Department, further pointed out that most local departments have the equipment necessary to handle any accidents that may happen in remote areas, citing the local department having already done so with horseback riding and other incidents in recent times. Among the final comments were those made by local milk hauler Jim Miller, who admitted that, at first, he was skeptical about having ATV traffic on County roadways, citing the fear of meeting such vehicles while driving his large, tanker milk trucks. However, Miller also said seeing all the regulations that are being implemented and the seemingly more responsible population that has participated in organized ATV rides, he is “more at ease” with sharing the road with such vehicles.
Following nearly an hour of listening to public comments during the hearing, the Board of Supervisors voted on the ordinance, with Supervisor Dennis Koenig making a motion to pass the first reading of the ordinance and Schellhammer seconding that motion. When the motion came to a vote, Supervisor Dan Byrnes cast the lone vote against approving the ordinance, thus allowing the ordinance’s first reading to be approved by a split, 2-1 vote. Byrnes then suggested that waiving the second and third reading of the ordinance would not be appropriate at this time with the amount of public comment this issue has received. He proposed setting May 2 at 10 a.m., during the Supervisors’ next regular session, as the date and time for considering the second and third readings of the ordinance, a motion that was approved unanimously.
The Supervisors noted, however, that Monday’s meeting location may need to be changed once again from its usual Board Room location in the Allamakee County Courthouse to the Pavilion at the Allamakee County Fairgrounds in order to accommodate another anticipated large crowd. It should be understood, however, that the May 2 meeting will not be a public hearing setting open to comment such as Monday’s meeting in Harpers Ferry was.
BACK TO REGULAR BUSINESS
Following the closing of the public hearing, the meeting was recessed in Harpers Ferry and reconvened at 12:15 p.m. in the courthouse board room in Waukon to address additional County business. Bids were opened for extension or elevation of five box culverts on County Road B38 – Cherry Valley Road from four contractors, including K Construction of Elkader, $115,599.93; Brennan Construction of Lansing, $154,751.88; Progressive Structures, LLC of Elkader, $121,043.00; and Rolling Hills Concrete, $84,517.75. County Engineer Brian Ridenour will review the bids and have a recommendation for the Board at its Monday, May 2 meeting.
Ridenour also presented the contract for Farner Asphalt Sealers of Dubuque for pavement markings on County roadways. Their bid for the project in the amount of $64,232.85 was approved at a previous meeting.
Kim Waters, Coordinator of Disability Services for Allamakee County, provided the Board with an update regarding County Social Services. She mentioned contracts and other issues with Managed Care Organizations (MCO) as being the highest current priority.
Brian Huinker with Midwest Group Benefits, along with representatives from the County employee Health Insurance Committee, discussed health insurance coverage for County employees in fiscal year 2017 with the Board. Huinker presented the benefits of the County moving from a fully-funded health plan to a partially self-funded plan, the biggest advantage of which would be a savings of approximately $130,000 in insurance premiums and future rate stability. Such a move could present the County with a certain amount of risk in the rare event of catastrophic or epidemic situations, but will also require County employees to be more accountable with their healthcare decisions. Following discussion of further specifics about the plan, the Board approved the Committee’s recommendation for the County to contribute $650 per employee for fiscal year 2017 health insurance to be renewed with Coventry Health Care, with the administration of the partial self-funding aspect of the plan to lie with Midwest Group Benefits.
The Board approved land plats for Donald R. and Ruth H. Vine, Kevin H. and Donna K. Schmidt, and Shirley M. Steiber. In the final agenda item of regular business, Maurice Gallagher, Carl Christianson and Allamakee County Veterans Affairs Director Heather Homewood discussed new lighting for the Veterans Monument on the Allamakee County Courthouse lawn, pointing out that some of the light fixtures are broken and deteriorating but wanting to confirm with the Board that the County has, indeed, assumed responsibility for funding such maintenance for the monument, as originally proposed when the monument originated. Gallagher presented a quote for $1,600 for replacement LED lights, but did not have any labor cost figures for such a replacement project. The Board suggested that additional and more comprehensive quotes be gathered for presentation at a future meeting, and, in the meantime, will also consider funding measures for the County to assume responsibility in regard to the monument.
