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Housing, Planning, & Development Committee — 2026-09-21

Decision notes (reviewed)

Written by the reviewer from the ASR + docket; [verbatim-ASR] = quoted machine transcript; [paraphrase] = reviewer's wording, not a quote.

Per agenda item (official Granicus index → ASR evidence)

0:09Approval of the minutes of the September 8, 2026 meeting of the Housing, Planning, & Development Committee.
Motion type(s) spoken: — · no passage phrase heard by ASR
  • 0:15 “Second.”
  • 0:17 “Motion and a second.”
0:22ORDINANCE 40-2025 - AN ORDINANCE to take effect immediately provided it receives the vote of at least two thirds of the members of Council, or otherwise to take effect at the earliest period allowed by law, amending or repealing various sections of the Lak
Motion type(s) spoken: — · no passage phrase heard by ASR · ASR heard nay/opposed/abstain wording — verify
  • 0:22 “Second item on the agenda, ordinance 40-2025.”
  • 59:49 “Second.”
  • 59:51 “Second, all in favor, aye.”
  • 7:59 “Both Cleveland and Lakewood adopted a speed limit”
  • 30:53 “as opposed to a new ordinance,”

Full ASR transcript

0:04 September 21st meeting of the housing planning
0:07 and development committee to order.
0:09 First order of business,
0:10 I'll make a motion to approve the minutes
0:13 from the September 8th, 2026 meeting.
0:15 Second.
0:17 Motion and a second.
0:18 All in favor?
0:19 Aye.
0:20 Motion carries.
0:21 Thank you.
0:22 Second item on the agenda, ordinance 40-2025.
0:28 This is dealing with upgrade up.
0:33 Making some improvements to our bicycle infrastructure
0:36 coordinances here within the city.
0:39 Assistant Director Boss is here, will walk us through.
0:42 I think we've had a session like this before
0:45 where we've gone through cases,
0:47 the case boards updates and input
0:51 for what those should look like.
0:52 So this will be, I believe the last round
0:53 of those inputs that we'll see.
0:55 And it'll give us a chance to discuss those
0:58 edits this evening.
0:59 So that I'll turn it over to Assistant Director Boss.
1:03 Thanks, Mr. Chair.
1:06 Yes, as you said, so what I've got here
1:09 is basically a summary that builds on,
1:12 I believe that last time I was here was in July.
1:15 We reviewed the in-progress deliberations
1:19 post-June case meeting.
1:23 So this is now post-September case meeting
1:25 where we finalized the recommendations.
1:29 So just have a handful of slides.
1:32 That's four slides that kind of summarizes
1:36 the main changes to chapter 301,
1:39 which is the definitions under the traffic code.
1:42 And then chapter 373, which is kind of the,
1:44 it's the chapter on the operation
1:46 of bicycles and motorcycles.
1:49 And then the last one is the section from 903.10,
1:54 which is streets.
1:57 That's talking about the duty to repair sidewalks,
1:59 which we didn't really change anything in that one.
2:02 Our focus was in 301 and 373
2:04 was where all the main recommendations were.
2:08 So some of these things were kind of,
2:13 I don't call them minor to like play them down,
2:16 but like some of them were kind of
2:19 almost administrative changes or updates.
2:21 As you're all aware, I think the last time
2:24 that we really looked in detail at the,
2:26 but these same chapters was in 2019.
2:30 And it was, every time you look at the code
2:33 and you make changes to code,
2:34 it's always got some bend or focus on it.
2:36 And the focus at that point in time
2:38 was the shared mobility devices
2:43 and the proliferation of scooter rentals
2:46 and all those at that time.
2:48 And they were coming into Cleveland.
2:50 We were working on a pilot program here in Lakewood.
2:53 And so a lot of the updates at that time
2:57 were pretty limited to just bringing that shared use
3:01 or that shared mobility program into the community
3:05 and making sure that we had the regulations
3:07 and the definitions to support those specific devices.
3:10 So I think as we all have learned
3:11 over the last like seven years,
3:15 the proliferation of these devices
3:16 has really increased over time.
3:19 And so I've tried to bold some of the new things
3:23 that are in there,
3:24 but I'll just go bullet by bullet here.
3:25 So we did update the definition for motorized bicycle
3:30 and that was any of these updates
3:33 and a lot of these things I pull forward,
3:35 it's because the state updated their definitions.
3:37 And so we try to pull those in
3:39 any time the state updates theirs and they apply.
3:42 So the motorized bicycle,
3:44 that is traditionally known as a Moped
3:48 and the state definition still talks about
3:50 the cubic centimeter displacement of the engine,
3:54 gas-powered engines.
3:56 So we updated that so that the definition
3:59 matched the state definition
4:01 and the clarification from the case board
4:05 was to make sure that that definition also says
4:07 does not include an electronic bicycle
4:10 and a low-speed micromobility device
4:13 just to make sure that we had,
4:15 I think we had a mobility device earlier
4:18 in there, an e-bike,
4:19 just to make sure that people
4:20 don't get those things confused.
4:23 We added a new definition for,
4:25 I'm calling it the e-moto,
4:27 that was the term that it settled on,
4:28 we discussed it in case.
4:30 There is no state definition for that
4:33 and so that is a homegrown local definition
4:36 to describe those devices that basically exceed
4:41 the capabilities and limitations of an e-bike
4:44 under the state code,
4:47 the state definition for an e-bike.
4:49 We added the full definition from the state for an e-bike.
4:53 Previous to that we had a much more simple
4:56 definition of e-bike that,
4:58 and a lot of that code work that we did in 2019
5:01 I did in partnership with the City of Cleveland
5:03 so that we would match as those shared mobility programs
5:07 were kind of going over our boundaries,
5:10 going back and forth,
5:10 we wanted our code to match.
5:12 Cleveland has updated theirs,
5:14 we updated it and the case recommended
5:16 to update that to the full state definition
5:19 that includes all three classes of e-bikes.
5:21 So it has sub definitions for class one, two and three.
5:25 We changed the current generic mobility device definition
5:29 which was the generic term used in 2019
5:33 to describe both e-bikes and e-scooters.
5:37 So the new state term is,
5:39 they have a new term called low speed micromobility
5:41 device that kind of,
5:44 it defines all those things that are not e-bikes
5:48 not e-motos as we're defining them.
5:52 And so we brought that state definition in
5:56 but also added kind of some additional language
6:00 that include but are not limited to e-scooters,
6:02 electric one-wheeled unicycles, electric skateboards.
6:07 You could probably make that list like 20 lines long
6:10 but that was a recommendation from the case
6:12 to just include some of those examples
6:14 so that people would have an understanding
6:16 of what those low speed micromobility devices are.
6:19 I retained the statement in there
6:22 that it does not include devices solely used
6:25 for the use of children
6:26 or assisted mobility devices
6:28 used by persons with disabilities.
6:29 That was something that we had in 2019.
6:31 We kept that in there.
6:34 Try to avoid confusion
6:36 and that's another reason for getting away
6:38 from the mobility device generic term
6:41 in any potential confusion
6:44 over what you're talking about.
6:46 Are you talking about a motorized wheelchair
6:48 or are you talking about a knee scooter?
6:53 Then we added, and there were no changes or anything
6:57 but we did add the ORC definitions
6:58 for a bikeway and a shared use path.
7:01 So the bikeway talks about infrastructure
7:03 that's basically curb to curb.
7:04 It's within the roadway.
7:06 Shared use path is obviously infrastructure
7:08 that is separated from the roadway.
7:16 So then going into,
7:18 so once we finished kind of the work
7:20 on the terms that we needed to add or refine or change,
7:25 now we got into the operation chapter.
7:29 And so each of these sections
7:32 is you kind of work your way down here.
7:34 So we do have a section on reckless operation.
7:36 I think I walked through that in July.
7:38 That is, it's a pretty broad section
7:41 but it covers a lot of those behaviors
7:43 that you don't want anywhere
7:47 from people riding bicycles, motorcycles
7:50 or any of these devices.
7:53 And so that did have kind of an obsolete line in it
7:57 that we added in 2019.
7:59 Both Cleveland and Lakewood adopted a speed limit
8:03 for e-scooters.
8:05 And it was pretty low.
8:06 It was 12 miles an hour.
8:08 And it actually, while our shared mobility program
8:13 died after the pilot,
8:14 Cleveland's obviously has continued
8:17 that 12 mile an hour limit cause enough issues
8:21 in terms of safety and devices
8:23 that were going too slow in terms of traffic
8:26 and people riding in the roads
8:28 that Cleveland did away with that speed limit.
8:30 And so we're just, this is kind of a cleanup item.
8:33 We don't have a shared mobility program
8:35 but just to get rid of that speed limit.
8:37 It's not realistic.
8:41 Doesn't help anything.
8:43 And so recommending that we remove that.
8:46 In the riding on sidewalks section.
8:50 Sorry, Councilman Bullock.
8:52 Yeah, thanks Dave.
8:53 Thanks Mr. Boss.
8:54 Thanks for the outline.
8:56 Let me interject here.
8:57 So because e-bikes have baked into the definition
9:01 of the device, some speed limits,
9:05 I think that that is probably lacking for e-scooters
9:09 and also my question is low speed micromobility device.
9:16 So if it's not in the law in one spot
9:21 might it not be advisable to have it in a different spot?
9:24 I did hear what you just said by the way.
9:26 And then the other question is physically
9:29 are there top speed practical limits for e-scooters
9:35 and other low speed micromobility devices
9:40 that approximately parallel class one,
9:44 class two, class three e-bikes or we can't assume that.
9:49 So you see what I'm driving at is
9:51 I do like the e-bike three tier approach
9:58 and of course it's consistent with state and federal law.
10:01 I'm assuming that the, or am I correct
10:04 in assuming that manufacturers are adhering to that?
10:07 It's been on the books for quite some time.
10:08 So a class two can't go higher than it's supposed to?
10:14 So that speed limit, we put that in our code
10:17 to be consistent with Cleveland.
10:20 That was something that was then because it was a law,
10:23 it was implemented through
10:25 shared mobility device operators.
10:28 So through like the Lime system,
10:31 they could physically govern electronically,
10:35 govern their devices to 12 miles an hour.
10:38 Just like they could restrict them from certain areas
10:41 or the scooter would stop working
10:42 or it would go really slow.
10:44 Like they had the ability.
10:46 The state now in the definition
10:47 for low speed micromobility device says that
10:52 it's capable on a paved level surface
10:55 of not more than 20 miles an hour
10:56 when propelled by electric motor.
10:58 That's generally the, while there isn't a speed limit
11:02 and we don't have a speed limit
11:03 and I'm not recommending a speed limit for scooters,
11:06 most of those devices operate at 20 miles an hour or less.
11:10 The e-bike speeds in the new code definitions
11:13 are recommending those are when and where
11:17 the assistance either picks up or drops off
11:20 at certain speeds.
11:22 You could certainly ride an e-bike faster
11:24 than 28 miles an hour going downhill,
11:27 like I'm sure.
11:29 But there's no,
11:31 we're not recommending speed limits at this time.
11:34 If you're riding an e-bike on the road,
11:36 the speed limit is the speed limit of the road.
11:39 Just like, because that's in reckless operation,
11:43 it's in all these sections that you will abide by
11:46 the traffic laws that you're,
11:48 of the roadway that you're riding on.
11:51 So if you're riding on, yeah,
11:52 if you're riding on the street
11:52 then I would say the speed limit
11:54 for all devices is 25 miles an hour.
11:56 Okay, all right, so that's a helpful,
11:57 so the definitions in the e-bike side of things
12:00 is an approximate description of their capabilities
12:04 and their power level.
12:05 But it is not a hardwired guarantee
12:09 on the top speed of any device.
12:11 They're not governed at that,
12:12 it doesn't stop, like it's not gonna keep you
12:14 at that speed.
12:15 Okay, I appreciate that clarification.
12:17 So, okay, so the through line to spoiler
12:23 is that it sounds like this draft is written
12:26 not to have specific speed limits
12:28 but the reckless operation standard
12:31 throughout the various classes.
12:33 Okay, thanks, I'll be up and running.
12:35 Yeah, so I think that's, that wasn't,
12:36 I mean, as a discussion that we had at CASE,
12:39 I think there was, there was obvious discussion
12:41 of do you wanna implement speed limits
12:43 on paths, on in parks, all those types of things,
12:46 like you can certainly do that.
12:51 We didn't, I mean, the recommendations
12:53 don't have a speed limit right now that's out there.
12:58 And as I walk through some of these things,
12:59 you do have the ability through the,
13:02 and we had it before, through the existing code
13:05 that like the Director of Public Safety retains,
13:10 in all of these things, retains the allowance
13:12 to restrict certain aspects of operation
13:15 per signage anywhere.
13:18 So the Director of Public Safety can put up a sign
13:20 and say you can't ride a bike on this sidewalk.
13:23 You can only ride two miles an hour on this sidewalk.
13:26 And that's the legal basis for the recent
13:28 Lakewood Park announcements regarding e-bikes.
13:31 You can put up signs to restrict operations.
13:35 I guess the perspective that I was trying to keep,
13:37 and I think a lot of the members in CASE kept,
13:39 is that this is a broad,
13:40 like this is the whole, community-wide,
13:42 this is broad, understanding that yes,
13:45 you can, you can implement further restrictions
13:49 specific to a certain area,
13:51 and that the Director of Public Safety has that ability,
13:54 but do you wanna implement that like writ large wide?
13:57 Because it does, I'm not trying to go down a rabbit hole,
14:00 but they did discuss speeds, and it's just hard.
14:04 It's hard for police to enforce a speed
14:07 on a shared use path.
14:09 You're gonna park a cruiser up there
14:11 and chase a kid down.
14:13 It's a difficult thing to do in practical reality.
14:19 So just to quickly clarify, just for folks who are,
14:22 so it sounds like we've made the speed limit.
14:24 It's basically a policy decision,
14:25 not a codified ordinance decision at this point,
14:28 and can be modified in a case-by-case basis
14:31 as the Public Safety Director sees fit.
14:36 I think that's, yeah, correct.
14:37 Thank you.
14:40 If I may, Mr. Chair.
14:41 Councilman Baker.
14:42 Yeah, and I think if you think about it
14:43 from a practical perspective
14:45 to Assistant Director Abbas' point,
14:46 I mean, our law enforcement's out there
14:50 radar-ing people driving, right?
14:53 But even under Ohio law,
14:55 I think law enforcement officers are allowed
14:56 to determine that, in my judgment,
14:58 in my personal judgment,
14:59 that person was over the speed limit,
15:00 so I can cite them as such.
15:03 I think, in this indication,
15:04 I don't even know if they make radar for bikes
15:07 or for people on devices,
15:09 so I think that would be more challenging.
15:12 I think it's the conduct, right?
15:13 So if there's a police officer present
15:15 and they view reckless conduct,
15:19 I think they can cite the person,
15:20 which I think is what our residents want.
15:26 And I've gone back and forth on this.
15:28 I was involved in the case discussions,
15:30 or at least present while they had them,
15:31 and I think that makes more sense.
15:34 Director of Public Safety, you can get more nuanced.
15:38 The situation calls for it, so thank you.
15:40 I'm starting to keep,
15:41 this is a fruitful discussion,
15:42 helpful to me, at least, Mr. Chair, if I may.
15:45 So that also, that structure,
15:47 which I think I'm receptive to, supportive of,
15:50 would then allow, let's say we pass this
15:54 or a version of this.
15:56 Six months in the future,
15:59 the practical experience is that on a shared use path
16:01 or in a park path,
16:04 there's a problem that we're experiencing.
16:06 Then there's flexibility for the Director of Public Safety
16:09 to post a sign that says,
16:10 for this facility, this area, here's different rules,
16:15 here's tighter rules on the road,
16:17 literally to address whatever we're experiencing.
16:19 I think that's correct, right?
16:21 The other point, though, to the Chair is,
16:24 so it's not vehicle-based,
16:29 this draft doesn't contemplate vehicle-based speed limits,
16:32 nor does it really necessarily contemplate
16:37 special attention enforcement by the police
16:40 for these devices alone.
16:44 It would be a part of general traffic,
16:46 but there would be speed limits
16:48 associated with different roads,
16:51 just like any other traffic, right?
16:53 So as we think of this,
16:54 prevailing speed on Detroit Avenue is different
16:56 than Clifton is different than a sidewalk
17:00 is different than a shared use path, correct?
17:02 We'll probably get to that in a little bit.
17:06 I think that's all the, so reckless operation,
17:09 and I'm sorry, I don't have all of the existing
17:11 elements of that section in here,
17:13 but if you read through that section,
17:15 the things that are expected of someone operating
17:18 a bicycle or any of these devices,
17:21 it's all relative to the environment
17:22 that they're riding on.
17:24 So while there are, and there are specific things
17:26 that we'll talk about in our code
17:28 about riding on a sidewalk,
17:29 so there are additional regulations for that,
17:32 and we tried to mirror those,
17:34 kind of that same model of new specific regulations,
17:38 so now if you're on a bikeway or a shared use path,
17:41 so if you're like in the bike lanes or whatever,
17:44 or if you're on a shared use path,
17:45 like what are the things that you really need
17:48 to regulate or guide?
17:50 Outside of those specific kind of things
17:53 for bikeways, shared use paths, and sidewalks,
17:55 like that reckless operation addresses most of that,
17:59 which is kind of the point I made back in July,
18:02 that like those tenants hold true
18:05 across kind of all environments,
18:07 so yes, you have to adhere to traffic laws,
18:12 I could pull it up and go through those things
18:15 that are in that section,
18:16 but it's all of those types of general principles,
18:21 I just didn't copy them down in here, so.
18:24 Mr. Chair, the definition for reckless operation
18:28 is without due regard for safety of persons or property,
18:33 so I think that's a judgment call by a police officer
18:35 as to whether or not the operation
18:36 is without due regard to the safety of the person,
18:40 even themselves, I think, or property,
18:42 other people's property.
18:45 Yeah, thanks everybody for taking the moment
18:47 to go through that particularly, specifically,
18:48 because I think this is something
18:50 I've specifically heard about this
18:51 and kind of the misunderstanding
18:53 of why we're recommending this the way we are,
18:55 so I appreciate going through this piece by piece,
18:57 and us also underscores, I think,
18:59 the need for us as council and us as a city
19:03 to get out there and re-educate the public
19:05 on these laws that already exist,
19:06 that can now be enforced and get people up to speed
19:11 on how they fit into the new landscape
19:13 or with all these other devices, or below speed.
19:18 So thanks, and sorry, please go on, sorry.
19:20 No, it's fine, I'd much rather have a discussion-based,
19:23 like, than me just going through this, so.
19:27 So I'll go to, like, riding on sidewalks,
19:29 we'll just go right to that.
19:31 So we already had a fairly robust section
19:33 on regulations on the sidewalks,
19:37 and so the things that we changed to that section
19:39 was, again, focusing more on the behavior than the device,
19:44 so making it clear that people can ride
19:47 kind of the appropriate types of devices on the sidewalk
19:51 in accordance with those stated regulations
19:54 that we already have for the sidewalk.
19:57 It retains that allowance for the Director of Public Safety
20:00 to further restrict aspects of operation
20:03 certain areas of sidewalks that may be more
20:05 or less appropriate for people to ride,
20:10 like the parks is an example of that.
20:12 We did restrict and upheld the restriction
20:15 on motorized bicycles, to my knowledge,
20:18 as long as we've had this section,
20:20 you've never been able to ride a moped on the sidewalk,
20:22 so we extended that to include
20:25 the newly defined e-motos,
20:27 kind of treating those things in a similar category.
20:30 And then based on case recommendation,
20:33 we added just a kind of a, not a clarifying statement,
20:38 but like an exclamation point of that,
20:42 you shall ride so as to not constitute
20:44 reckless operation per section 37308.
20:48 And then the code previous to this
20:51 had a whole section about
20:53 age restriction for roadway operation.
20:56 I think it was eight years old,
20:59 that you had to be eight to ride in the road,
21:02 and then it had a bunch of roads that were restricted,
21:05 like except for these roads and all those things.
21:07 And so I just thought as I was working through this
21:10 that that section would be more appropriate
21:13 actually to add into the next section.
21:15 Bikeways talks about infrastructure in the roadway,
21:20 so I just pulled that down to the next section,
21:23 so we can talk about that on the next slide.
21:26 So the new section, 373.101,
21:31 this is in relation to the two new types of infrastructure
21:34 that we're defining, the bikeways,
21:35 which is curb to curb stuff,
21:37 bike lanes and other infrastructure that's in the roadway,
21:41 or immediately adjacent to the roadway
21:43 and shared use paths that are separated,
21:45 physically separated from the roadway.
21:48 So again, removed any restrictions.
21:52 I think our earlier draft,
21:54 when we first submitted this,
21:55 talked about not allowing adults,
21:58 anybody 18 years or older on e-bikes or e-scooters
22:03 to ride, again, staying consistent with case discussion
22:07 and recommendation to focus on the operation behavior
22:10 rather than devices.
22:13 And so just like sidewalks,
22:15 we added all the appropriate devices,
22:17 electronic bicycles, low-speed micromobility devices,
22:19 as long as bicycles is legal to operate
22:21 in accordance with the state of regulations.
22:25 Here is where I added, or I kind of copied and pasted
22:29 that section on the age restriction.
22:33 And so the old restriction was eight.
22:38 From the research I did, it's hard to find an age
22:42 that someone's gonna throw a dart board or a dart at.
22:47 What I did find that some of the safe routes
22:48 to school and kind of the age of 10
22:52 was in some of those things.
22:54 That generally corresponds to kind of around fifth grade.
22:58 Kids are starting to ride the school on their own
23:00 a little bit more, getting them ready for middle school.
23:04 10 was, I say 10 is what I found
23:07 and what I'm currently recommending.
23:10 And that is for, you have to be 10 or older,
23:14 basically to ride anywhere in the roadway
23:17 without adult supervision.
23:19 And so that's an update,
23:22 and then realigned under this section.
23:26 Again, just like on the sidewalks,
23:31 certain areas can be restricted,
23:33 aspects of operation under the authority
23:35 of the Director of Public Safety
23:36 by putting signs up to the earlier discussion.
23:42 Again, we restricted mopeds and motorized bicycles
23:46 as well as e-motos from this infrastructure,
23:49 just based on their operating characteristics.
23:53 And then just like on sidewalks,
23:54 we added the emphasis on riding
23:57 so as to not constitute reckless operation.
24:04 Under the section on motorized bicycle operations,
24:08 just updated it to reinforce the prohibition on.
24:13 Prior to this, it just used to say sidewalks,
24:16 and so now it says bikeways, shared-use lanes,
24:19 and sidewalks, or shared-use paths, it should say.
24:28 And then I created a new section
24:31 based on the definition of an e-moto.
24:33 Again, Wild West, there's nothing out there
24:36 at the state level to tell you.
24:38 There's no licensing requirement
24:39 or anything for these devices.
24:42 And these are the devices that have an engine
24:47 that is in excess of 750 watts,
24:49 so it puts it outside of the category of an e-bike,
24:52 and it also provides assistance
24:55 beyond the current basic restriction on a Class 3 e-bike.
25:00 I think it provides assistance up to 28 miles an hour,
25:03 so an e-moto would take you beyond that.
25:05 And so it is these higher power, higher speed devices
25:10 that are out there.
25:12 I modeled the new section
25:15 on the motorized bicycle section
25:18 that's right above it,
25:19 but I obviously had to take some things out
25:21 because there is no state licensing requirement,
25:23 and we do not, to my understanding,
25:25 we do not have the authority
25:28 to implement a licensing requirement
25:31 for someone to have an operator's,
25:33 like a valid operator's license.
25:36 The section does classify this just like a moped.
25:38 It classifies it as a vehicle.
25:41 As I understand, that makes it,
25:42 there's some different aspects of that
25:44 in terms of police and enforcement
25:46 from their aspects of,
25:47 instead of being like a bicycle or a device
25:49 versus a vehicle.
25:52 It restricts the age to 16.
25:54 This was obviously a point of discussion in case.
25:59 I originally had it at 14,
26:01 and it was a good discussion.
26:03 I took the recommendation.
26:05 There were two recommendations, 18 or 16,
26:09 and they voted for the 16.
26:13 You had to be 16 or older.
26:16 But just like a moped, you have to have a helmet.
26:18 The device has to have rear-view mirrors.
26:21 Just because of the increase,
26:22 we don't allow them on sidewalks,
26:24 shared-use paths, bikeways.
26:26 They're operating in the roadway in traffic.
26:28 They have to have the same things
26:29 that you would expect out of a moped or something
26:31 in terms of visibility and operating requirements.
26:36 And then just like mopeds and motorized bicycles,
26:40 restricted carrying passengers in operations
26:43 and bikeways, shared-use paths, and sidewalks.
26:47 So the section looked an awful lot
26:50 like the motorized bicycle section,
26:52 but without the licensing requirement
26:55 and some of the other things from the state.
27:00 Last slide.
27:03 This one I just was an ad
27:05 based on the last case recommendations,
27:10 is that the state of Ohio does require someone
27:12 to be 16 to operate a Class 3 e-bike.
27:16 So I pulled that in.
27:18 I created a new section, 373.142.
27:23 And this is just Class 3
27:25 electronic bicycle operation age requirement.
27:28 And so it is the only thing under that state law section
27:32 of 4511.522, per the discussion that we had at CASE,
27:38 that I could pull in.
27:39 And so it's exactly as it reads on the slide there
27:42 that I added in there.
27:43 It's just a single line under the heading
27:46 that references that code section
27:48 and reinforces that no person under the age of 16 years
27:51 of age shall operate a Class 3 e-bike.
27:53 However, you can ride,
27:55 a person under 16 may ride as a passenger
27:58 if that bike is designed to accommodate passengers.
28:02 That is straight from the state law.
28:05 I felt like it was better to put this
28:08 in the operating section than add it to the definition.
28:12 We had some discussion on that.
28:14 And so I decided just to put it in as a new section here.
28:22 And then the last piece is that 903.10,
28:27 the duty to repair and maintain sidewalks.
28:29 This basically creates a delineation
28:32 and a differentiation between sidewalks
28:34 and municipally designated shared use paths and bikeways.
28:38 And it designates the city as responsible
28:41 for the repair and maintenance
28:42 of those municipally designated pathways.
28:47 And that's specific to those shared use paths
28:51 so that we will maintain them
28:53 and it's the law that we maintain them.
28:56 And so that's kind of the summary,
28:58 the highlights of those main changes
29:00 that came out of CASE.
29:03 There was a lot of work through the meetings
29:06 prior to June and prior to that
29:08 and then to finalize in September.
29:10 I think that the last two recommendations
29:13 that really came to the vote
29:15 was the age for the e-moto operation
29:18 and then just making sure that we included
29:20 the age requirement for the class three e-bikes
29:24 per the state law.
29:25 So pending any questions, Mr. Chair?
29:28 That's all I have.
29:29 Yeah, thanks, Assistant Director Boss.
29:31 I certainly think this helped me
29:35 with a couple of outstanding questions and issues I had.
29:37 So thanks for all your hard work
29:38 and thanks for the case board.
29:40 We have a member here today who
29:41 I'm thinking will probably like to speak,
29:42 but first I'll go to committee members
29:44 and then other members of council
29:45 who have questions or comments.
29:48 Councilman Baker.
29:51 Thank you.
29:51 I guess I have a process question.
29:53 So there was a formal ordinance with some changes,
30:03 some of which are kept,
30:04 but a lot of which have been refined
30:06 through these word documents you provided,
30:09 which essentially show red lines
30:10 from current code provisions.
30:13 Process-wise, is the law department gonna need
30:14 to draft this up and put it in a substitute ordinance?
30:17 Is that what you're envisioning or?
30:19 Yeah, I would defer to the law department on that.
30:21 I would probably work with Jen Swallow to redraft it.
30:29 Yes, through the chair, absolutely.
30:31 And I mean, we're looking at three different areas
30:35 of the ordinance, so we'll take some meshing,
30:38 but absolutely, the law department will be involved.
30:41 Okay.
30:45 Yeah, and so, like I think it was at the,
30:49 confirm whether it aligns.
30:51 So to me, that sounds like a substitute ordinance
30:53 as opposed to a new ordinance,
30:56 but I, that's a process, but important.
31:00 Because I do think that,
31:03 thank you, Assistant Director Ross.
31:04 I know this was a lot of work,
31:07 although I will say I think it shows the benefit
31:10 of case and some of the feedback we've gotten.
31:14 I'd like an opportunity to see it all in an ordinance
31:18 and print it out and spend some time with it,
31:21 but I think I'm 95% way there as far as what's in here.
31:25 I do wonder, and this is,
31:27 I wonder if there's any discussion about,
31:30 we just say maintain and repair shared use path
31:34 for the city's duty to repair
31:35 in the sidewalk section.
31:39 Wondering if we wanted to get specific
31:41 and say snow clearing as well,
31:42 or we just assume that maintenance has that.
31:45 I just wanted to ask,
31:47 because we have been telling people
31:49 that that includes snow removal,
31:52 and I just wanna,
31:53 and I intended to, I don't know what my colleagues feel,
31:56 to include snow removal on the shared use path.
31:58 So just curious if there's been any discussions
32:02 internally at the city about that.
32:04 I think that's assumed that that's included,
32:06 and that's assumed to include a responsible
32:08 for the repair and maintenance of the path,
32:12 that it's part of the maintenance as a clearing.
32:17 Okay, great.
32:18 There's no pushback that I know from public works.
32:21 Great, and then secondly,
32:22 can you explain what the,
32:26 I'm trying to envision the plans for Bunce Road,
32:31 assuming that we may have others in the city.
32:33 It's asphalt path,
32:35 and then the concrete is the apron for the driveway,
32:38 and the concrete is the,
32:39 or it could be asphalt for the driveway,
32:41 I guess, whatever a resident has.
32:45 So the city's maintenance obligation
32:46 will be basically edge-to-edge of the shared use path,
32:51 and then it's kind of on the resident
32:52 for the driveway, apron, and all those other things.
32:56 I would defer to public works,
32:57 and I would assume that it's edge-to-edge,
33:01 but I'm not gonna speak
33:03 for the director of public works on that.
33:06 It seems to be that's the way it written.
33:07 We might wanna,
33:09 and this is actually one
33:10 where I might spend a little time massaging that language
33:12 because it's a little,
33:14 just concrete's different than asphalt,
33:15 what that looks like,
33:16 what that joint looks like,
33:17 I think, is gonna be important,
33:18 so I don't have a suggestion right now,
33:22 but I think I may work with Director Gordon on that.
33:25 Yeah, and Councilman Baker, just to answer your first,
33:27 I had not envisioned sending this back
33:29 to council for approval today.
33:32 I think we need some time with this,
33:33 so that was what I was thinking,
33:34 so it sounds radical or aligned.
33:37 Councilman Bullock.
33:38 Thanks, agreed.
33:39 It's been a helpful process,
33:41 and I wanna acknowledge Emily Lindbergh in the audience,
33:44 who's a member of the Case Board,
33:45 and also Safe Routes to Schools coordinator,
33:49 volunteer extraordinaire slash bike Lakewood board member.
33:53 She's done great work.
33:54 Emily, I don't know if you're gonna say something soon,
33:56 part of the meeting,
33:57 but you'd be welcome to be with the chair's permission.
34:03 On the point that Councilman Baker just mentioned,
34:07 if you've got a heavy snow,
34:09 the plow's gonna kick up a ridge in both directions.
34:14 You're gonna add, hopefully not a huge,
34:16 but nevertheless a non-zero snowbank to the apron,
34:19 so there's some thought to be.
34:22 It depends, you can get the brush one,
34:24 that whatever.
34:25 Okay, that's good.
34:29 I know that we've had a couple different models
34:31 of sidewalk plows over the years.
34:35 I don't know what we've got right now,
34:36 I'd be surprised if we have a brush one.
34:38 But anyway, that's certainly worth a worthy topic.
34:43 I too would like to digest this,
34:45 just one more pass.
34:47 I'm increasingly comfortable with the approach.
34:52 However, the approach does turn upon
34:56 the city's ability to do some enforcement.
34:59 And I think what the chair,
35:01 to throw the chair softball in the strike zone,
35:03 is gonna advocate for is education.
35:06 Education and communication, communication, communication.
35:10 Because I think nobody in public safety
35:14 expects to be able to issue citations
35:17 in large enough numbers
35:18 that we're gonna be successful with that alone.
35:21 So these are big changes.
35:22 And in many ways, the city, the community is,
35:26 we're victims of our own success here.
35:28 We're expanding, walking, cycling.
35:31 And then the technology companies are meeting us
35:34 more than halfway with all this proliferation
35:36 of e-mobility devices.
35:38 And so that's adding more focus and velocity
35:41 to all of this,
35:43 which means the change that we're about to have
35:46 in the next short time period is gonna be larger,
35:52 at least in the public perception
35:53 than it has been in recent years.
35:55 So there's safety and there's perception of safety,
35:59 there's neighborhood norms,
36:01 the perception of neighborhood norms.
36:02 So there's gonna be a lot of people
36:04 on all sides of this question.
36:06 And I think we're gonna have to bring our A game
36:10 to the communication side of things.
36:14 Some of that's face to face,
36:15 a lot of it's gonna be repeated,
36:18 electronic communications, et cetera.
36:21 But do we, for the purement side,
36:25 if you've got pedestrians on,
36:28 let's take random example,
36:30 Bunce Road multi-use path,
36:33 or you've got people doing their yard work
36:35 of Bunce, you know, in the front yard,
36:37 and they've got to be on the multi-use path
36:41 and we've got people whizzing along,
36:45 those residents are gonna want,
36:47 and I think it's not unreasonable for them
36:49 to expect and desire some enforcement
36:52 and some city support for safety.
36:57 And of course, there's the version of a car backing out
37:01 and getting T-boned or the other way around,
37:04 backing into somebody.
37:06 Nobody wants that on either side of the equation.
37:09 So I think what we're defining here
37:15 is a coherent and rational outline,
37:18 but the value's gonna turn on how well we educate
37:23 and then enforce.
37:25 Has that discussion been had on the administration side
37:28 or in the case board side?
37:31 Or is that, should I hold those questions for a follow-up?
37:37 I think we had a brief kind of initial discussions
37:42 about education, but we didn't get,
37:44 I mean, we're trying to get the code in place first,
37:46 I think, in terms of what we need to educate people on.
37:49 But I would say predominantly the focus
37:51 would be on the reckless operation
37:53 and then the expectations within each of these sections.
37:56 For both of them, if you're familiar
37:58 with the sidewalk regulations, it's very similar to that.
38:03 But yeah, there's definitely products
38:04 that could be developed around those.
38:05 They're pretty straightforward regulations
38:08 in terms of behavior, but I can't speak
38:10 to the enforcement of it either,
38:11 whether or not, I'm sure the police can.
38:15 I mean, have the police been engaged to date?
38:18 The police have been in every case meeting
38:21 and they participate, neighborhood officers participate
38:23 in the Safe Routes meetings, so they are engaged, yeah.
38:28 Okay, so it's a conversation that remains in front of us.
38:31 You know, and it may be straightforward
38:33 in some ways, that's good, but I think probably
38:36 we're just on the verge of a broader cross-section
38:39 of the community actually tuning in,
38:41 paying attention and experiencing this.
38:42 And I do know that people are pretty keyed up
38:45 about e-bikes already in the parks
38:46 and in the neighborhoods, so thank you.
38:49 And just to address one of your concerns,
38:52 Council President Hamilton-Steiner and myself
38:54 have been talking about this,
38:55 that education is peace specifically.
38:58 We've seen other communities roll this out,
39:00 kind of a program involving the police
39:03 that walk through these things
39:04 so people have a better understanding.
39:06 And then also trying to figure out
39:07 how we can involve the schools in that conversation
39:09 because we think that's the best way
39:11 to reach a lot of these kids and their parents.
39:13 So it's an ongoing conversation as well
39:15 that we're certainly aware of
39:16 and I think it is critically important to this.
39:22 Council President Keppel.
39:24 Thank you.
39:25 Yeah, and I'll just add to that too
39:26 is our public information officer
39:29 is also an ex-official member of CASE
39:31 so and helped put together the signs in the parks
39:35 so hopefully it can be helpful with this.
39:39 So a couple of things, so thank you,
39:41 I just wanna first of all say thank you,
39:43 Assistant Director Boss for all of your work on this
39:46 and thanks to the CASE Board.
39:48 This is, I know it's been a long road
39:50 but this is what we envisioned
39:52 when we wrote up the CASE Board legislation
39:56 so I think it's a better product
39:58 and we get all the different voices
40:00 because we know everyone uses the rights of way
40:03 so it's helpful to have representation
40:05 from all the different types of users.
40:07 Couple things, one thing in 301.182
40:12 there's language that says solely for use by a child
40:16 and I'm thinking that that is intended to mean
40:21 like the little motorized toys,
40:23 like the little cars that, yeah,
40:26 the Hot Wheels kind of thing
40:28 but I just wonder a little bit about clarifying that
40:33 because the new Emoto section may override that
40:38 because part of the concern that I have
40:42 and I think a lot of folks have about
40:45 without putting us on them,
40:49 I would, I think of as Emotos that a lot of kids,
40:55 we're seeing a lot of young people writing around
41:00 the city and that's part of the concern
41:02 and so if a parent buys an Emoto device
41:06 solely for use of a child,
41:09 are those two things in conflict
41:10 or does, we don't have to answer this today
41:13 and that's a question when law is drafting this
41:15 but it's just something to be thinking about
41:17 if it's overridden by the section saying
41:20 that those types of devices cannot be
41:22 on the sidewalks period,
41:24 then it doesn't matter if it's solely for use of a child
41:27 but just wanting to kind of clarify that.
41:32 But the intention is the Hot Wheels kind of thing.
41:35 And then the other thing I want to mention,
41:41 373.10, we talked a little about some of the behavior things.
41:49 There's already language about cyclists
41:54 riding on the sidewalks needing to walk the bicycle
41:57 if there's a large amount of pedestrian traffic
42:01 and then it also mentions not riding at a speed
42:05 greater than an ordinary walk
42:06 but that's specific to around certain areas.
42:13 So when we were talking about that with the speed limits,
42:15 it's sort of mentioned in there
42:17 so that gives a hint also about reckless operation.
42:22 And then I also want to mention 373.101,
42:30 the riding on sidewalks and shared use path.
42:33 It doesn't, whereas the section,
42:38 the previous section, the 301,
42:40 talking about riding on sidewalks,
42:42 it specifically calls out that a cyclist,
42:47 if passing a person needs to give an audible signal,
42:51 walk the bicycle if it's,
42:52 but then it specifically calls out
42:54 if passing a blind person
42:56 needs to get off and walk the bicycle.
42:58 And that is not on the shared use path
43:00 and I just wondered if that was discussed at all
43:03 or if the thought is that the path is wide enough
43:06 or if it was just not discussed
43:08 or I just wondered if that had been looked at at all.
43:11 It wasn't discussed.
43:12 I think in drafting this,
43:15 I think just recognizing the physical limitations
43:19 of our sidewalks versus appropriately designed
43:23 shared use path was the main difference.
43:33 And the shared use path may be wide enough
43:35 that it's not an issue,
43:36 but I just wanted to see if that had been
43:39 thought about at all.
43:40 And then this will probably get addressed
43:42 when law drafts this,
43:43 but in 373.141,
43:47 A is missing three.
43:50 It goes one, two, and four.
43:54 I know they're working from a lot of different versions
43:56 and taking things in and out,
43:59 so that's a minor thing.
44:00 But again, I just want to say
44:03 how much I appreciate all the work on this
44:05 from everyone, all the different departments
44:08 that participate in CASE
44:10 and all of the CASE board members as well.
44:14 Thanks.
44:14 Any other members of council who'd like to comment?
44:17 Councilman Vickstein.
44:18 Thank you, Chair Evans
44:19 and thank you, Assistant Director Bass.
44:21 Thank you, members of CASE.
44:22 I really appreciate the recommendations here.
44:24 I'll be quick,
44:25 because I want to make sure we give people
44:26 from the audience a chance to speak as well.
44:29 I particularly appreciate,
44:31 as someone who has an eight-year-old
44:32 and sees how eight-year-olds generally behave,
44:35 I really appreciate the roadway operation provision.
44:38 I think that feels like a more appropriate age,
44:41 as you alluded to,
44:43 as kids are starting to approach middle school
44:44 and may need to become more mobile in doing so.
44:49 I also really appreciate the emphasis
44:51 on addressing unsafe behavior
44:56 and focusing on reckless operation.
44:58 My question, and this is really just to clarify
45:01 when constituents bring it up,
45:02 but I know you guys went out of your way
45:05 to establish consistency in a variety of ways,
45:09 but with regards to the existing park policy,
45:13 there would be an inconsistency,
45:14 and correct me if I'm wrong,
45:15 in that the CASE recommendation
45:18 for sidewalks and shared-use paths allows e-bikes,
45:22 whereas on parks,
45:25 they're allowed only if the motor is disengaged,
45:27 is my understanding.
45:29 And I believe that there's probably a case to be made
45:32 for why that makes sense,
45:35 just the inherent difference between
45:37 an area that's used for recreation
45:39 versus an area that's used primarily for mobility
45:42 and maybe even just the level of congestion
45:45 in young people who might be in a park.
45:47 But I just wanted to make sure,
45:49 and I know that it's a different situation,
45:52 but that I understand the rationale properly
45:54 so that when people point out
45:56 that perceived inconsistency,
45:58 I can at least speak to it properly.
46:02 I really can't speak to it, I'm sorry,
46:03 like in terms of that.
46:08 What I can't speak to is why we focused
46:10 on the things that we did.
46:12 I think trying to get it,
46:14 so towards education and enforcement,
46:16 of trying not to make regulations
46:20 be so overly onerous
46:24 or that they require,
46:26 like is a police officer gonna know
46:28 whether or not your motor is engaged
46:31 or disengaged in a park?
46:35 We talked a lot about the need to allow people
46:38 to use the devices that they need to use.
46:41 A lot of times the e-bikes,
46:42 they're used by people that maybe a regular bike
46:46 would be difficult for them to use
46:48 or they need that assistance or whatever
46:50 just to operate it in the same manner
46:52 that you would operate a bicycle.
46:54 And I think that's the direction
46:56 that we ended up after some good long
46:59 and significant discussion
47:01 and kind of arrived at a common position of that.
47:04 Again, regulating the behavior,
47:09 not the specific, like regulating device,
47:11 I think, it puts the enforcement arm
47:14 and the police in a bad position
47:16 where they're then having to determine,
47:19 you know, from, I don't know,
47:22 10 yards away, 20 yards away,
47:24 is that an e-bike?
47:25 Is that a regular bike?
47:26 Is that a class one e-bike?
47:28 Is that a class two e-bike?
47:31 And then I would defer to Emily,
47:35 I'm certainly not an expert on these devices
47:37 that don't have an e-bike
47:38 but I don't even know if there are models
47:40 that you can disengage the engine
47:42 based on the classification.
47:44 Like some of them, I think the engine just works
47:47 and provides assistance within that speed range
47:49 that is designed to provide you to.
47:51 I'm sure there are others that have that option and stuff
47:54 but it's a hard thing to enforce.
47:57 And so I think I can explain the way
48:00 that the case and the discussion went
48:03 and how we arrived at what we arrived at.
48:06 But that's certainly within the purview of the code
48:09 and again, it's a policy decision to make that
48:13 where you come up with additional restrictions
48:15 and it's a policy decision.
48:17 So.
48:20 Thank you.
48:21 Appreciate it.
48:21 Yeah, it seems like that we've given
48:23 the public safety director broad discretion
48:25 to do other things outside of what's here
48:29 and to me, the public safety did so
48:32 in that particular case in the park.
48:33 So we're just codified.
48:34 I would believe it's appropriate.
48:35 It's appropriate based on the timing
48:37 and you can more timely respond to concerns
48:41 and things that come up, so.
48:44 Councilperson Hamilton-Steiner.
48:46 Thank you, Chair Evans.
48:48 I know we want to get to public comment.
48:50 Do we want to clarify what we mean by Imodo?
48:56 So I think Imodo might be a newer term
48:59 for folks in going off of what President Couple
49:02 was talking about, the items
49:04 that are specifically geared for kids
49:05 and if you look at, and when I Google that,
49:09 up pops electric dirt bikes
49:11 and I believe that's what we're talking about
49:13 is really electric dirt bikes.
49:15 So do we want to say that
49:16 because even on this website that I'm on,
49:19 it says, designed with child-friendly features.
49:21 These dirt bikes are perfect
49:23 for fostering confidence, adventure,
49:24 and a lot for outdoor exploration
49:26 and then it goes on and on.
49:27 So a parent sees this, they're gonna think,
49:30 great, this is wonderful for my child.
49:33 They'll have so much fun.
49:34 What's the harm in this?
49:36 So I think we may want to define
49:39 a little bit better what we mean by Imodo
49:41 and if we are referring to specifically
49:43 electric dirt bikes, let's just say electric dirt bikes.
49:47 So I think that's clearer
49:49 and then at least for parents, they know,
49:52 well, if we buy this, it's gonna be a waste of money.
49:55 We're not gonna be able to use this in Lakewood.
49:57 So just something to think about.
49:59 All right, throw it in there at the 10th hour.
50:03 I can just provide you my perspective on this
50:06 is there are a thousand different types
50:09 of devices right now
50:10 and there will be 10,000 by Christmas.
50:14 I'm not trying to be quip on it,
50:16 but we tried to, at least in my effort
50:19 of trying to define what an Imodo is
50:21 was trying to make it the clearest definition
50:25 that of everything kind of that is
50:29 beyond the scope of an e-bike
50:31 in terms of its performance envelope.
50:33 It may look like a million different things,
50:37 but if it's, but there are Imodos
50:40 that look like e-bikes.
50:42 There are Imodos that look like dirt bikes.
50:45 There are tons of them that are out there,
50:47 but if it doesn't fall within the classification
50:50 of a low-speed micromobile device
50:52 or an e-bike as defined by the state,
50:54 I'm basically calling it an Imodo
50:55 because it's, and again, I could be wrong,
50:58 but I'm just saying based on my perception
51:00 and the discussion and kind of what I took in
51:03 from Case and the discussion there
51:04 is that the concern is driven by more powerful devices
51:10 that are unregulated in their speed
51:13 regardless of what they look like
51:15 or what they're called,
51:17 and so I settled on Imodo.
51:20 You could call it an electric motorcycle,
51:23 but then we talked about that at Case
51:25 is that that has its own connotation with it
51:28 because there are electric motorcycles
51:29 that you have to get a motorcycle operator's license,
51:33 and this is different than that, so.
51:36 Yeah, no, and I hear you.
51:37 It's just, you know, if you were pairing,
51:41 you were going to Google this,
51:43 it could be confusing because there's a website
51:45 that uses and refers themselves as Imodo,
51:48 but it has e-bikes on there,
51:49 and so in other things that you can buy,
51:52 so I think we just may wanna just think
51:54 a little bit more and maybe just be clear
51:57 with what we mean and just state what we mean.
52:01 I think, and that goes to Councilman Bullock's
52:03 and others' points earlier.
52:04 The education piece on this is like,
52:07 so I got Imodo, you know, one of the,
52:10 I think it might have been Councilman Baker
52:11 to send me a thing from Westlake.
52:14 They've got a whole, it's like a menu
52:16 of what's allowed, what's not,
52:17 and the regulations that it is.
52:20 Once this is adapted and goes into place,
52:23 we can make our own of those,
52:25 and I think that is where,
52:27 if you call it Imodo or whatever we wanna call it,
52:30 the pictures that are then associated with that,
52:33 and then it should be as simple as a parent
52:36 checking the wattage on an engine
52:39 because they should have a wattage rating on the engine.
52:43 Is it more than 750 watts or is it not?
52:47 And I think more and more states,
52:50 I don't know if the state of Ohio
52:51 is gonna go in this direction,
52:52 but more and more states are requiring
52:55 the e-bikes to have classification stickers on them
52:59 that tell you what class they are,
53:01 and so, again, not something that we can regulate,
53:04 but the state could regulate,
53:05 like Maryland and other states that do that,
53:09 and so that was just my perspective
53:11 and the discussion was trying to make it as easy,
53:14 and we can provide a lot of pictures,
53:16 but if someone just looking at a device saying,
53:19 is that engine more powerful than 750 watts,
53:22 it's not an e-bike, then,
53:24 and it will take your kid at 28 miles an hour
53:27 or higher in traffic, so.
53:32 Thanks, any other comments from council?
53:34 President Keppel.
53:35 Thank you.
53:36 Just briefly, just to, on that,
53:39 is when Councilman Hamilton-Siner
53:43 and Vice President Baker and I met with the mayor
53:45 to talk about, just because we were hearing so much
53:48 about the, especially young people riding the emotos
53:51 and in the parks as well,
53:54 and so we talked a little about
53:55 what action we could take quickly,
53:57 and the mayor's, the executive branch
54:01 can act a lot faster than the legislative branch can
54:03 and should, because we need to be deliberative,
54:06 and so that was where we thought
54:08 the quick action of the signage in the park
54:12 that is really intended to address
54:15 that mostly the emotos and riding in the parks
54:19 and irresponsible behavior
54:22 into Councilman Bixenstein's point
54:25 is a little different,
54:26 because a park is more of a destination,
54:28 and a lot of people using that,
54:30 so it was rather than a place of transportation,
54:34 active transportation,
54:36 but it was also a way that we could take quick action.
54:39 This body could always legislate that more
54:42 if we wanted to, but then the other thought
54:44 was also trying to get this passed
54:48 as quickly as we could.
54:50 Good legislation passed as quickly as possible,
54:54 because we do want parents to get this information
54:57 sooner rather than later
54:58 so that they aren't investing in devices
55:01 that their students won't be able to use on our sidewalks.
55:09 Great, thanks.
55:10 So Ms. Lindberg, you know the drill.
55:15 Five minutes.
55:20 Hi, thank you.
55:22 I just wanted to come here and hear the discussion.
55:27 I think it was a great discussion
55:29 that you've all had today.
55:32 I think Assistant Director Boss
55:36 made some really great points about,
55:41 and arguments about reminding you all
55:45 about the different uses of e-bikes and these devices.
55:50 I know that there has been a lot of issues recently
55:54 with children using e-motos and using devices improperly.
56:01 But we can't forget that a lot of these devices
56:06 are being used because parents are taking their kids
56:13 to school and older adults who maybe can't operate
56:20 a traditional bicycle anymore can continue their mobility.
56:27 Just before I came here today,
56:29 I was listening to a podcast about an autistic person
56:34 who doesn't have the executive function to drive a vehicle
56:39 but he can ride a bicycle.
56:43 And so we need more infrastructure
56:47 that is all ages and abilities.
56:50 So I really appreciate all of this thoughtfulness
56:53 and discussion on this right now.
56:56 That said, I really liked the discussion
57:02 about the sidewalk clearing and the shared use clearing
57:09 and I'm excited that we now have a definition
57:13 for bikeways which includes those on-street bike lanes
57:19 because unfortunately they don't get cleared
57:22 of snow properly year after year after year.
57:27 We've had these bike lanes and those snow plows
57:30 are pushing that snow right into the bike lane
57:32 and it's not getting cleared.
57:34 So I'm really happy to see that language.
57:41 And then finally I just wanted to reiterate
57:44 what I said last time I came in here
57:47 which is that I would strongly recommend
57:50 that you consider not allowing these emotos
57:56 even on our streets.
57:58 This is something that other communities
58:00 in Ohio are doing.
58:04 These like has been just, we have discussed here today
58:07 these are not regulated vehicles.
58:10 These are very powerful vehicles
58:13 and just saying that you need a helmet isn't enough.
58:15 It's a regular bike helmet going,
58:19 when you're going 28 miles per hour
58:21 or over 28 miles per hour is not going to do any good.
58:25 It has to be a specific bike helmet
58:27 or it has to be a specific helmet.
58:31 So then that's just one example
58:32 but like these are dangerous.
58:36 They don't require any kind of regulation
58:40 in terms of a license or registration, you know,
58:45 lights, you know, so much.
58:48 And so just requiring any old helmet
58:50 and a mirror is just not gonna cut it.
58:55 These things should only be allowed
58:57 on private property, the end.
59:00 That is my personal recommendation
59:03 after going to the active transportation conference
59:06 and the research that I've done.
59:10 So yeah, thank you so much for, you know,
59:14 really taking the time and considering all of these things.
59:20 Thank you, Ms. Lindbergh
59:21 and thank you for your service to the case board.
59:24 As I think President Keppel said,
59:26 I think this demonstrates exactly why we put that in place
59:29 and it led to a lot better legislation
59:32 that we hopefully can adopt soon.
59:35 Do we need to have an action on this?
59:42 So if anything else before this board,
59:46 I'll make a motion to defer ordinance 40-2025.
59:49 Second.
59:51 Second, all in favor, aye.
59:53 Motion carries, nothing else to hear tonight.
59:56 Give us a couple minutes for regular meeting of council.
59:58 Thanks.