Iowa

Todd Erzen

Recent resident complaints about the noise made by all-terrain vehicles will lead to a revision of Johnston's noise ordinance.

"Ours isn't very effective," said City Administrator Jim Sanders.

John Skipper

John Skipper

MASON CITY — The City Council voted 6-0 Tuesday night to approve, on second reading, an ordinance allowing all-terrain utility vehicles on city streets — but warned that final approval might not come so easily.
Earlier this year, the council approved the use of all-terrain vehicles on city streets to go to and from snow removal jobs. The amended ordinance would allow vehicles used for summer work on city streets under the same circumstances.

But City Administrator Brent Trout said his position hasn’t changed since last winter. He said his preference would be for the council to wait until the state law is changed to require operators of all-terrain vehicles to have insurance.

Herbert J. Lange

I have hunted, trapped, studied and photographed wildlife for more than 65 years.

The hunting programs on TV are a joke and not real hunting. These rich people hunt on enclosed game farms with guides and ride on ATVs. In my opinion, this is an insult to hunting. They pay a huge fee for this that only the wealthy can afford.

Herbert J. Lange

I have hunted, trapped, studied and photographed wildlife for more than 65 years.

The hunting programs on TV are a joke and not real hunting. These rich people hunt on enclosed game farms with guides and ride on ATVs. In my opinion, this is an insult to hunting. They pay a huge fee for this that only the wealthy can afford.

John Skipper

MASON CITY — The City Council will consider additions Tuesday night to the ordinance it approved in January concerning all-terrain vehicles on city streets.

The ordinance allows ATVs on city streets to travel to and from snow-removal jobs.

Michelle Haacke

The issue of allowing all-terrain vehicles on county roads has been tabled by the Mitchell County Board of Supervisors.

A motion in August 2009 to allow ATV riders on county roads was not passed after members of the public voiced concerns at a county board of supervisors meeting.

Question: If snowmobiles are legal in the Dubuque city limits, are four-wheelers? If not, why?

Answer: The two are legal in the city limits under very specific circumstances.

Andy Piper

Jack Nachtman, manager of Mount Calvary Cemetery, considered offering neighbors $150 for information leading to the prosecution of ATV riders trespassing on cemetery property. He hopes that the Dubuque City Council will help alleviate the problem Monday night and a cash reward won't be necessary. The council is expected to vote on proposed ordinance regulating ATV use on private property. The current ordinance, Section 32.4, only addresses ATV use on roadways.

"There are trespassing laws, but you pretty much have to catch the people while they're doing it, and they usually do it after hours when we don't have any staff around," Nachtman said. "Just knowing they did it is one thing, prosecuting is another." Nachtman said ATVs are carving ruts into cemetery property and destroying root systems that prevent erosion. He said the city is taking stormwater runoff more seriously these days, and it isn't cheap to repair damaged grounds. "I've talked with other people who are having similar problems who live in subdivisions that aren't completely developed," Nachtman said.