MONROE - A public hearing on creating a city ordinance for neighborhood electric vehicles (NEV), originally set by the Monroe Common Council for July 15, must be rescheduled, because the length of time legally required for a public notice to be published was not met.
Mayor Ron Marsh said the notice needed "more time for publication." Marsh didn't know exactly how long the notice needed to be published; he believed it was 2-3 weeks.
Marsh said the notice wasn't sent it in time, and therefore, it didn't receive adequate publication time.
The council will reset the public hearing date at its next meeting July 15. Marsh expected the public hearing will be Aug. 5.
Marsh also said the Wisconsin Department of Transportation has looked over the ordinance and determined that only more specific wording be added to identify exactly where along Wisconsin 69 NEVs will be able to cross. The required rewriting did not contribute to the postponed public hearing.
DOT requires municipalities to have an ordinance for NEV before they are allowed on its streets.
A letter from the city sent to the state identified all roads NEVs will be intersecting and requested permission for the vehicles to cross. City Attorney Rex Ewald wrote the proposed ordinance and said he stuck with definitions and terms used by Wisconsin statutes.
The Monroe Judiciary and Ordinance Review Committee voted June 23 to recommend to council the new ordinance creating chapter 8 of Title 10, outlining the use of NEV on city streets.
NEV will be able to travel within the city on any street, alley or highway having a posted speed limit of 35 mph or less. NEV will not be able to venture out to the new Menards location along Wisconsin 69 north of Wis. 11/81, where the speed limit is 45 mph.
NEV may be able to reach the new Wal-Mart Supercenter on Wis. 11, by crossing over the highway along 6th Avenue West. That road doesn't actually intersect the highway, Monroe Police Chief Fred Kelley said.
NEVs ride in line with traffic, unlike bicycles, which travel along-side traffic, Kelley said. Traffic violations in an NEV will fall in line with traffic violations in any other motor vehicle.
Mayor Ron Marsh said the notice needed "more time for publication." Marsh didn't know exactly how long the notice needed to be published; he believed it was 2-3 weeks.
Marsh said the notice wasn't sent it in time, and therefore, it didn't receive adequate publication time.
The council will reset the public hearing date at its next meeting July 15. Marsh expected the public hearing will be Aug. 5.
Marsh also said the Wisconsin Department of Transportation has looked over the ordinance and determined that only more specific wording be added to identify exactly where along Wisconsin 69 NEVs will be able to cross. The required rewriting did not contribute to the postponed public hearing.
DOT requires municipalities to have an ordinance for NEV before they are allowed on its streets.
A letter from the city sent to the state identified all roads NEVs will be intersecting and requested permission for the vehicles to cross. City Attorney Rex Ewald wrote the proposed ordinance and said he stuck with definitions and terms used by Wisconsin statutes.
The Monroe Judiciary and Ordinance Review Committee voted June 23 to recommend to council the new ordinance creating chapter 8 of Title 10, outlining the use of NEV on city streets.
NEV will be able to travel within the city on any street, alley or highway having a posted speed limit of 35 mph or less. NEV will not be able to venture out to the new Menards location along Wisconsin 69 north of Wis. 11/81, where the speed limit is 45 mph.
NEV may be able to reach the new Wal-Mart Supercenter on Wis. 11, by crossing over the highway along 6th Avenue West. That road doesn't actually intersect the highway, Monroe Police Chief Fred Kelley said.
NEVs ride in line with traffic, unlike bicycles, which travel along-side traffic, Kelley said. Traffic violations in an NEV will fall in line with traffic violations in any other motor vehicle.