Decorah gets a new bike ordinance

The Decorah City Council has given its approval to a rewriting of the city's bike ordinance.  The vote came after a lengthy discussion Monday night of the particulars of the ordinance.

City officials discussed the schedule for fines and whether the fines should be a flat fee or a sliding scale.  Police Chief Bill Nixon favored the flat fee fine, saying it would be easier for police officers to enforce.  An amendment to the ordinance set fines at a flat fee of $20.

Another lengthy discussion involved language in the ordinance requiring riders to maintain "control of your bicycle."  The section had required that bikers use "one or both hands," but city council member Rachel Vagts argued that the ordinance would be better if it just required bikers to have their bike "under control."  Vagts' amendment carried on a 5-2 vote, as did the entire revised ordinance.