Kanabec County your time is here!!!!

[Benny]

It's your turn to be banned unless you pack the meeting with fellow riders and speak your peace!!

The Kanabec County Attorney is planning on presenting a letter of intent to adopt an ordinance which would ban ATV's from riding in ditches.

The next meeting for the Commissioners will

Wednesday, January 14, 2004
6:30 PM
Kanabec County Court House
18 N Vine St
Mora, MN 55051
320-679-6440

Benny

[Dave]

The Kanabec County Attorney is planning on presenting a letter of intent to adopt an ordinance which would ban ATV's from riding in ditches.

The next meeting for the Commissioners will be:

Wednesday, January 14, 2004
6:30 PM
Kanabec County Court House
18 N Vine St
Mora, MN 55051
320-679-6440

If the letter is presented at this meeting the Commissioners will discuss if they want to proceed with adopting the proposed ordinance. If they decide to proceed, at that time they will set up a public hearing for public comment.

Rumor has it the people against ATVs are going to try to "pack" the room at this meeting on 1-14-04. Commissioner Cathy Ellis said that if people call each of the Commissioners and let them know their thoughts on this they would like to hear from ATVers. Resident/land owner comments of this county will take precedence but they are not opposed to hearing from people outside the county.

NOW IS THE TIME TO CONTACT THEM.

Commissioners are:
Stan Cooper 320-676-3345
Les Nielson 320-272-6602
Cathy Ellis 320-679-1716
Jerry Nelson 320-679-2703
Dennis McNally 320-272-4209

The county Commissioners have not yet decided what they will do if the letter is presented. If they hear from ATVer's prior to them receiving the letter, they may decide not to go forward. If you want to attend the meeting, the public is always welcome, but there will be limited or no time for public comment at this particular meeting. And the public comment will be after the Commissioners have already decided to go forward or not. At this time, they will simply be deciding whether to consider the proposal. If they decide to consider it, an official public comment period will be established for a later date.

Pine County Officials may also be working on the same type of ordinance.

It is a good idea to contact your County Commissioner if there is a chance this may become an issue in the area where you live or if there is an area that you use regularly.

[Sand Burr]

Benny & Dave,
Thanks for being on top of these issues!
How are you getting the info? (email me if you don't want to post)
I want to be involved but my time is limited. One of my neighbors spent the evening driving around telling the people. I will spend some time on the phone tonight talking to fellow kanabec county friends.
Job well done boys and hope to report back if I find out anything.

Yes, I do reside in this area and there is alot of wheelers around my neck of the woods.

[Dave]

Sand Burr,
ATVAM sends out updates.

[Benny]

The Kanabec County Attorney WILL BE presenting a letter of intent to adopt an ordinance which would ban ATV's from riding in ditches.

The next meeting for the Commissioners will be:

Wednesday, January 28, 2004
6:30 PM
Kanabec County Court House
18 N Vine St
Mora, MN 55051
320-679-6440

The letter was supposed to be presented at the last meeting on 1-14-04. But the Commissioners decided to place it on their agenda prior to deciding if they will go forward with it. The Commissioners will discuss if they want to proceed with adopting the proposed ordinance. If they decide to proceed, at that time they will set up a public hearing for public comment.

Call each of the Commissioners and let them know their thoughts on this, they would like to hear from us. Resident/land owner comments of this county will take precedence but they are not opposed to hearing from people outside the county.

Commissioners are:
Stan Cooper 320-676-3345
Les Nielson 320-272-6602
Cathy Ellis 320-679-1716
Jerry Nelson 320-679-2703
Dennis McNally 320-272-4209

NOW IS THE TIME TO CONTACT THEM. The county Commissioners have not yet decided what they will do when the letter is presented. If they hear from ATVer's prior to them receiving the letter, they may decide not to go forward. If you want to attend the meeting, the public is always welcome, but there will be limited or no time for public comment at this particular meeting. And the public comment will be after the Commissioners have already decided to go forward or not. At this time, they will simply be deciding whether to consider the proposal. If they decide to consider it, an official public comment period will be established for a later date.

It is a good idea to contact your County Commissioner if there is a chance this may become an issue in the area where you live or if there is an area that you use regularly.

We will continue to keep you updated you as we find out information.

This is a copy of a news letter I recieved this week, so any one in that county better get thier friends and neighbors to get there early so the MRR people can't even get a seat.

Benny

[Benny]

Thanks Ray, I also want to make sure everyone understands that if they get caught riding the ditchs after the ban takes place they will have a criminal record because of it.If I read the Washington County law right it is a misdemeanor offence with posible jail time.

It isn't even a petty, but a full misdemeanor.That goes on your record then.

I can't stress enough that we will soon have a high dollar dust collector in the garage if the MRR get's thier way.

Thanks, Benny

[Ray Esboldt]

Benny,

Thanks. I posted a "call for arms" in the East Central Lakes forum.

You're an asset to FM.

------------------
Ray Esboldt
MarCum
Stone Legacy

[Benny]

Here is some more info on the Kanabec county ditch riding.I got it in a news letter today.

Kanabec County Commissioners are holding a public hearing for further discussion about the letter of intent to ban ATV's from county ditches. The county is willing to hear the public speak before they decide to make an ordinance or not. After they listen on February 19th, they will make a decision one way or the other. If they continue with an ordinance, then there would have to be another public meeting before anything would be final. This is your chance to voice your opinion on this.

When submitting comments please remember to be polite and courteous. Any derogatory comments will be discarded.

Date: Thursday, Feb 19, 2004

Time: 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Where: Ogilvie High School
333 School Drive
Ogilvie, MN 56358

If you cannot make it to the public hearing contact the Commissioners by phone.

Commissioners are:
Stan Cooper 320-676-3345
Les Nielson 320-272-6602
Cathy Ellis 320-679-1716
Jerry Nelson 320-679-2703
Dennis McNally 320-272-4209

Please take some time to call, we need to let them know that there are as many people who want to ride the ditchs in a safe,and sportsman like manner than there are people who want to ban the ditch riding.

Thanks, Benny

[Dave]

I went to the Feb 19 County meeting. About 60 people were present, along with a DNR officer and the Sheriff. After the first four pro-ATV residents spoke the next 15 or so passed on their first chance to speak. Three or maybe four people for the ban spoke. One was concerned about youth (often more than one on a machine) riding an ATV. One man owned land surrounded by state land (he just didn't want ATVs around). One couple lives on Knife lake and said during the weekends there's so much dust they can hardly open the windows; during the week it's not bad. The last man wanted a ban on ATVs, dirtbikes ands snowmobiles from riding in the County.
The support FOR the ban was not very strong. The people FOR the ban were about retirement age.

The County Sheriff stated there was 6000 (I figot to write down the actual number but 6K is close)calls during 2003 and only 33 were related to ATVs. He said "the ATV problem is very small". When asked why they can't respond sooner to a call; on a scale from 1-10, ATV problems are prioritized at about a 1. Lives in danger, thefts in progress, speeding, assaults and so on are more important than an ATV call. They do respond to each call though. Out of 33 calls there was 11 warnings handed out and three tickets given. The Sheriff gives the person one warning, hands the violator the regulation book. The three tickets were to repeat offenders. They believe in warnings first when so many laws are different concerning riding county and state ditches to township roads.
The DNR officer went through the laws about riding on township roads and county and state ditches. She always talks to the complaintant and investigates each call. She covers 900 square miles so her response time is not good.

The County road engineer stated the problem is not huge. When asked what he compares the size of the ATV damage against, he admitted that potholes in the roads were a larger concern.

One County Comissioner received "maybe four calls", another "about 6-8 calls". One comissioner stated and laughed that his district didn't really have any ditches to ride! The others didn't state if they received any complaint calls.

Kanabec County comissioners do not want ATV problems to grow. They were seeking public opinion before any actions, even intending to ban, are taken. Residents who were there were pretty upset that the Comissioners even wasted time on this issue. There were no stats on where damage is or how much damage there is.

Even the pro-atvers admitted ATVs can and do cause some form of damage.

The Comissioners will now discuss in a closed meeting if this ban intent should be thrown out or investigated further.

The ATVAM president and locals who are really involved with motorsports (riders and businesses) were at the meeting also. They WILL keep in contact with the Comissioners.

The County Commissioners would not give their feelings on what they thought about the ban. Many present can't see how they can ban with hardly any support there for the ban.

The Pro-ATvers really did a good job! It does help to speak up, be present...and Just Say NO when these meetings are held in your County.

[Benny]

Thanks Dave for your time to go there and to report back to the board here.
It is a great example of what even a few people can do if we stand up for the sport.And it also shows that we need more people who go to the meetings to stand up even to just say they oppose any ban.
I wonder how many out of that group were pro ATV?

Please keep up the great work, we need people like you to help get the word out that it only takes a few to stand up and speak.

Thanks, Benny

[Dave]

About a handful were not Pro-ATV. Actually, the meeting was suppose to go from 6-9pm. Everyone spoke by 7;30, took a break, and then we talked as a Forum a little more (the anti-atv people left on their own and were invited) till about 8:15. Meeting was adjourned early.