City of Onaway establishes a nuisance ordinance

by Angie Asam, Staff Writer

The days of riding ATV?s, dirt bikes, go karts and other ORV?s around the yard or back and forth down city streets and alleys in Onaway came to an end Monday evening when the city commission approved ordinance 2009-01.

The ordinance restricts the use of recreational vehicles on private and public property. The ordinance does allow people to use their recreational vehicles to get from point A to point B in town or to go from their residence to leave town. Anyone who is caught using an ORV creating a nuisance will be given a $500 fine.

Several complaints regarding the use of ORV?s up and down city streets and alleys and back in forth in yards led the commission to the decision. The problem was worse during spring break and the expectation is that it would only get worse when summer vacation hits.

?There are plenty of more appropriate places to use these v

ehicles ? trails, county roads, etc that do not create such a nuisance. I therefore support the adoption of this ordinance,? said city manager Joe Hefele.

The ordinance has been adopted and will go into effect after it is published in the Onaway Outlook. Residents should make note of the new ordinance and be aware violations will result in a large fine.

IN OTHER CITY COMMISSION NEWS: ? The commission approved invoices related to the new pickup truck purchased through a grant with the United States Department of Agriculture ? Rural Development (USDA-RD) and submitted them to USDA-RD for payment.

? The city declared its intent to create/provide for the operation of a Downtown Development Authority (DDA). The DDA district will run along State Street from Second to Beech as well as include 20775 Washington (the building owned by Mark Forner), a parcel behind the Country Caf?, one behind the former Metropole Bar and Vance?s, and two properties on South Veterans Drive (a house and Dr. Willey?s office). The commission set a public hearing on the matter for June 3 at 9 a.m. Not less than 20 days prior to that the hearing notice must be published, and posted in 20 locations in the proposed district as well as all property owners in the district must be notified. Any affected taxing authorities, should Onaway choose to collect the tax increment financing, also need to be notified.