The first reading of an amended all-terrain/utility vehicle ordinance failed on a split vote at the recent Panora City Council meeting.

The proposed ordinance stated that ATV and UTV use would only be permitted for lawn care, farming, or snow removal, and recreational use would not be authorized. Police Chief Matt Reising said he was pleased with the new ordinance which was written by a public safety committee and after a town hall meeting was held last month with several people voicing their support to allow ATVS and UTVs be operated in the City, as the County now allows use on county roads. City Council member Brian Dorsett asked what we are gaining with the new ordinance and the Council asked how the ordinance would be enforced. The first reading then failed on a 2-2 vote as Tom Flanery was absent, and Dorsett then suggested that the public safety committee could come up with a route that only UTVs could use to get in and out of town on county roads, and that operators could only have access to gasoline at the Heartland Cooperative, “I think the main thing is, is the easiest way in, the easiest way out, I don’t think there’s anything about driving around town, going up town, easiest way in, easiest way out.”

Police Officer Rock Armstrong spoke about his initial opposition to having a route as he said it would be more of a benefit to those outside of the City than its residents, but he was amenable to coming up with a route instead of opening all streets to ATV users. The public safety committee will revisit the ordinance.