Chapter 6.04
OFF-ROAD VEHICLES

Sections:

6.04.010    Purpose.

6.04.020    Definitions.

6.04.030    Operation of Off-Road Vehicles.

6.04.040    Exemptions.

6.04.050    Penalties.

6.04.060    Conformance with Law.

6.04.010 Purpose.

The Council hereby determines that off-road vehicles can provide appropriate, useful and energy efficient alternatives to automobiles when properly operated. The purpose of BC 6.04.010 through 6.04.060 is to prevent those vehicles from becoming a nuisance to the people of the City and causing damage to and deterioration of the environment and to avoid detrimental effects on the health, safety and welfare of the people.

6.04.020 Definitions.

For the purposes of BC 6.04.010 through 6.04.060 the following mean:

Off-road area – Any area that is not a road or a road that is closed to off-road vehicles and posted as closed, except areas commonly held open to vehicular use, such as parking lots and automobile service stations.

Off-road vehicle – Every self-propelled motor vehicle designed or capable of traversing on or over natural terrain, including, but not limited to motorcycles, minibikes, trail bikes, motor scooters, dune buggies, four-wheel drive trucks, pickups, all-terrain vehicles, jeeps and half-tracks.

Operate – Start, move, run or drive.

Police chief – The chief of the police department or the police chief’s designee.

Road – Every public way, thoroughfare, road, street or easement within the City used or intended for use by the general public for vehicular traffic.

This ordinance – BC 6.04.010 through 6.04.060.

6.04.030 Operation of Off-Road Vehicles.

A. No person shall operate an off-road vehicle on any off-road area that the person does not own unless:

1. the operator possesses written permission to do so from the owner, contract purchaser or lessee of the off-road area; or

2. the operator possesses written evidence of membership in a club or association to which the owner, contract purchaser or lessee of the off-road area has given written permission to do so and a copy of it has been filed with the police chief; or

3. the owner, contract purchaser or lessee has designated the off-road area as being open to off-road vehicle use by posting notice of it in a form and manner prescribed by the police chief.

B. No person shall:

1. falsify the written permission required by subsection Al of this section; or

2. falsify the evidence of club or association membership or the written permission required by subsection A2 of this section; or

3. post the notice or remove the posted notice required by subsection A3 of this section without the consent of the owner, contract purchaser or lessee.

6.04.040 Exemptions.

The provisions of this ordinance shall not apply to implements of husbandry, publicly-owned vehicles or authorized emergency vehicles used for legal purposes.

6.04.050 Penalties.

A. A violation of this ordinance is punishable by a fine not to exceed $100.00. [BC 6.04.050, amended by Ordinance No. 3372, 5/22/84]

B. The penalties imposed by this section are not exclusive and are in addition to any other remedies, civil or criminal, available to the City under the law.

6.04.060 Conformance with Law.

This ordinance shall not be a substitute for or eliminate the necessity of conformity with state laws, rules and regulations, or Code provisions which are now or may be in the future in effect which relate to the activities regulated by this ordinance.