Following a presentation on the ATV-UTV Ordinance, the Village of Soldiers Grove adopted the county ordinance allowing and regulating ATV-UTV use on posted routes on village streets.
Pat Murphy, representing the Crawford County Ridge Runners Club, reviewed the ordinance passed by the Crawford County Board and updated the village board on the situation.
Murphy told the board that most townships and many villages had adopted the county ordinance allowing for the use of ATVs and UTVs on marked roadway routes. The Town of Haney has not adopted the ordinance allowing ATV-UTV on their township roads.
In answer to some questions from the board, Murphy said the process of placing signage along street routes would cost about $1,600 for the Rolling Ground-Soldiers Grove-Gays Mills loop. He outlined the streets in the village the club would use to complete the route.
County highways will require county approval to be posted and state highways will require approval by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.
“It probably will not happen overnight,” Murphy said in a frank assessment of marking and opening the routes for ATV-UTV use. He called the project a “work in progress.” He also indicated a local ATV-UTV route on township and village streets, as well as some county and state highways, would hopefully happen next spring.
Some of the rules in the county ATV-UTV ordinance include requiring that the operators be at least 16 years of age and have a valid driver’s license, according to Murphy.
The use of the ATVs and UTVs on the designated roadway routes is also limited. They are not allowed to operate between the hours of 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. Murphy said the club’s suggestion had been to limit their use between the hours of 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.
Village trustee Vicki Campbell made a motion to adopt the county ordinance, as the village ordinance on ATV-UTV use of roadways. Village trustee Shayne Chapman seconded the motion and it was adopted unanimously by the board.
In other business, the Soldiers Grove Village Board:
• heard the Soldiers Grove Community Development Corporation has $82,651 in its Money Market Account and $586 in its checking account
• was informed that second quarter room tax had not been paid in Soldiers Grove and the revenue was needed to fund the recently concluded Driftless Art Festival
• agreed to pay $750 from CDC funds for a Driftless Wisconsin advertisement
• discussed sourcing sand and salt for winter use on village streets from local sources instead of the county highway department and also discussed the price of replacing the village sander, then tabled the matter to the next meeting
• approved raising sewer and water rates by three percent as part of a plan to bring them in line with other municipalities and the real costs of the service
• found out a grant funding a feasibility study for an assisted living project at Sannes Skogdalen had been denied
• established 4 to 7 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 31 as the official trick or treat hours
