Editor’s note: A postcard has been mailed to residents in the town of Koshkonong which mistakenly notes the date of a public hearing about ATV use on town roads as Wednesday, July 23. The public hearing will be held Wednesday, July 20. While the public hearing will begin at 7 p.m., a workshop is scheduled to take place at 6 p.m. The town of Koshkonong regrets the error. The postcard is slated for mailing on Monday, July 11.
By Kim McDarison
The Koshkonong Town Board of Supervisors will be holding a public hearing to allow residents an opportunity to weigh in on whether ATVs, UTVs and RTVs should be allowed to use town roads.
The hearing will be held Wednesday July 20, at 7 p.m. at the Koshkonong Town Hall, W5609 Star School Road.
According to information released by the town, a request has been made to open all of the town’s roads, including those in subdivisions, for use by ATV-type vehicles.
“An ordinance is being developed and resident input is important,” the information released by the town stated.
Koshkonong Board of Supervisors Chairman Bill Burlingame told Fort Atkinson Online that the town of Koshkonong is unique in that it has territory and roads which surround the city of Fort Atkinson, which, in some cases, feed into the city of Fort Atkinson. Other roads are near waterways such as lakes and rivers.
Different roadways and their logistical situations offer safety concerns of varying degrees when opening them for use by ATV and UTV drivers, he said.
Burlingame said he is advocating for the board of supervisors to initiate a study to determine where within the town ATV and UTV traffic can safely exist.
Burlingame shared a letter which was received by town to Koshkonong administrative assistant Kim Cheney last month from Fort Atkinson City Manager Rebecca Houseman LeMire in response to an email sent by the town to the city, sharing a draft of an ordinance under consideration by the town board.
In her letter, LeMire said that while the Fort Atkinson City Council had not taken any official action relating to ATVs or other similar vehicles on city streets, city staff did provide some perspective.
According to the letter, “ATVs and other similar vehicles are prohibited on city roads. City staff does not support the operation of such vehicles on city roads for many reasons.” The letter next shared several bulleted statements regarding ATV use on city roads.
The list included such statements as: ATVs are not intended for roadway travel, safety features such as brakes and tires are not built or suited to perform on roadways, the addition of such vehicles increase risks to other motorists using the roadway, ATVs lacks safety features such as turn signals and headlights, laws do not require helmets and eyewear, drinking while driving violations committed while driving ATVs are considered a DNR matter, ATVs are loud and produce more exhaust than a car, among others.
According to the letter, “The ATV Safety Institute does not support roadway travel as a safe option. They have developed eight Golden Rules for safety, and No. 2 is ‘Never ride on paved roads except to cross when done safely and permitted by law — another vehicle could hit you. ATVs are designed to be operated off-highway.’”
The letter cited a website with the full list of “golden rules,” found here: https://atvsafety.org/the-golden-rules/.
Additionally, the letter stated that Fort Atkinson city staff had reviewed the draft ATV ordinance under consideration by the Koshkonong Town Board and offered four “specific concerns.”
They included: enforcement, with the letter stating that the Fort Atkinson Police Department “would have a zero-tolerance policy on enforcement of the city’s prohibition of ATVs on city roads, and responsibility, with the letter noting “the ATV ordinance requires a club to register with the town and be responsible to promote safe ATV use and fund signage. What if no club takes on such a role?”
The letter further pointed to safety, referencing its earlier offered bulleted points.
Communication also made the list of the city’s specific concerns, with the letter asking: “If the town closes a route or a road to ATV use, how would that be communicated to town residents, visitors or guests?”
In the letter, LeMire wrote that, would the town board opt to enact an ATV ordinance, the city staff was recommending that any roads bordering the city of Fort Atkinson be excluded from ATV use.
Such recommended roads, the letter stated, would include Hackbarth, Banker and Fox Hill roads, and Main and High streets, among others.
The town of Koshkonong public hearing notice encourages residents who cannot attend the scheduled meeting to submit input by email: town@koshkonongwi.gov.
Burlingame said postcards were recently mailed to town residents alerting them about the public hearing.
Koshkonong Town Hall, contributed photo.
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I agree with most residents that live on the point. ATV’s do not have a place in our community. Primarily for safety sake. A few years ago when ATV’s were allowed I notice that teenagers were driving them in addition to adults with a beer in their hands.
My dog and I were almost hit by an ATV as they came whipping around the corner.
There are a number of senior citizens that like to walk around, This poses a safety concern. In my opinion I feel that ATV’s belong away fron residental areas. We have a beautiful, safe and peaceful neighborhood. We would like to keep it that way. Please don’t allow ATV’s to become part of a distraction. Our vote is definitely NO