SHELBY – Rubber streaks line the Black Fork Commons where Shelby Bicycle Days’ midway sat just over a month ago.
The late-night activities from a group of “vandals” drew the attention of councilman Nathan Martin, then Shelby City Council as a whole.
The tire marks are a symptom of a growing issue in Shelby – a lack of regulations around the use of motorized bicycles and similar equipment. That can include one-wheel skateboards, e-bikes, electric scooters and more.
Dealing with the issue will be a primary concern at Wednesday’s safety meeting.
Along with the vandalism at Black Fork Commons, these high-speed individual motorized vehicles pose a threat on both roads and sidewalks. If not on the right side of the road, or do not pay proper attention, they can cause issues in traffic. On the sidewalk, they can pose a threat to pedestrians.
“It seems like it’s getting out of control,” Councilman Derrin Roberts said. “Kids are riding, not paying attention to the laws of the road.
“We’ll have more discussions about that. Some new terms, some possible solutions, maybe some education at least.”
Mayor Steve Schag noted education for officers on how to treat e-bikes and other similar forms of transportation would be at the top of the list. Treating these vehicles differently from typical bicycles is paramount.
“I met by Zoom with my fellow board members of the Community Action Commission of Erie, Huron, and Richland County,” Schag said. “One of the main topics was how to deal with the increasing number of bicycles, e-bikes, micro-mobility and personal conveyance devices.
“We have two areas of concern: the downtown business district and the city as a whole … We want to take a look at our policies and craft an ordinance that will meet the modern demands of today with all these devices.”
Two ordinances were passed during Monday’s council meeting. The first transferred a handful of funds, adding no money to the budget.
Fifteen thousand dollars will be transferred from paying fire department wages to providing fire department computer support — and $8,000 for upkeep of Black Fork Park will be transferred to maintain the Shelby Pool, among other transfers.
The other ordinance adjusted non-domestic septage receiving rates for Shelby.
“Most of this is just housekeeping,” Director of Finance Brian Crum said. “We’re getting to that part of the year where some lines are starting to run a little low, so we’re funding them with other lines.”
Shelby City Council will meet again Sep. 8 at the Shelby Justice Center at 29 Mack Ave.
