The Star - News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area

Coulee Dam may soon allow the driving of all-terrain vehicles on city streets, if the council adopts a law similar to those passed by Electric City and Grand Coulee recently.

It’s already happening, anyway, and state law allows it on the highway that runs through town, Councilmember Keith St. Jeor said, but Coulee Dam hasn’t adopted standards for the practice.

St. Jeor said at the June 27 council meeting that citizens have been bringing it up and he’d like to see the town adopt the same standards passed by the Legislature several years ago for state highways. He noted that at least one citizen regularly plows snow with an ATV.

ATVs must be licensed, have seatbelts and turn signals, and meet other specifications to be able to run on state roads, the state law says.

Councilmember Fred Netzel asked if the town’s ordinance could be made more restrictive than the state’s.

Clerk Stefani Bowden said the council should probably have a couple public hearings on the subject, one before and one after a draft is introduced.

A public hearing is scheduled for the beginning of the July 25 council meeting.

In other business, the council:

• discussed a problem of some unsavory behavior on the part of some public transportation bus riders who disembark at the stop at Mason City Memorial Park, where a playground often attracts children;

• took no action on a proposed change in the ordinance that creates the Parks and Natural Resources Board, having gotten clarification from the city attorney that the council has final say on any of the board’s recommendations;

• allowed the removal of two trees from the planting strip in front of the home of Bruce Bartoo, who had requested it. Bartoo will pay for their removal and replacement with Hawthorn trees;

• learned the town’s 1968 Ford F800 fire truck would be put up for bid on propertyroom.com with a minimum bid of $500. (As of Monday night it had one bidder, from New York.)