T-R PHOTO BY ROBERT MAHARRY Black Tire Bike Company Owner Matt Gerstandt, left, addresses the Marshalltown city council as Councilors Mark Mitchell and Barry Kell look on during Monday night’s meeting.

After passing the first reading two weeks ago, the Marshalltown city council unanimously passed the second reading of a new ordinance regulating the use of bicycles, skateboards and other personal transportation units on Monday night, but not before hearing from Black Tire Bike Company Owner Matt Gerstandt about ideas for some potential tweaks.

According to Police Chief Chris Jones, who spoke during the meeting two weeks ago, the impetus for the change was to make the ordinance more modern and include popular new forms of transportation like electric bikes (ebikes) and electric scooters. As he stepped forward to the speaking podium on Monday, Gerstandt explained that ebikes have become a “very large” part of his market at the store on West Main Street, and he addressed some of the differences in classification.

Piggybacking off of the previous conversation regarding maximum speeds, Gerstandt said anything that goes faster than 28 miles per hour is essentially a moped, which he believes would make the new ordinance easy to enforce.

He did feel, however, that the wording surrounding skateboards and one-wheels was a bit more confusing, and Gerstandt suggested adopting the phrase “personal electrical vehicle” to encompass all of them with the idea that if they exceed 20 miles per hour, they will be in violation.

Councilor Jeff Schneider asked Gerstandt if PEVs or one-wheels would need to travel in a bike lane to be legal on city streets, and he did not believe that was the case because bike lanes are not well-documented in town as it is.

“I’d say definitely write it or think of coding it so it can’t be on sidewalks would be the biggest things. You have to abide by the rules of the road if you’re gonna be using the PEVs,” Gerstandt said.

Jones was absent on Monday night, but Capt. Sadie Weekley addressed the council in his place and said skateboards have been prohibited on city streets for at least 20 years, as long as she’s been with the MPD, for the safety of riders as they are difficult to see. Schneider asked if the law was enforced often because he has frequently seen skateboarders on streets.

She replied that she knew it was something they needed to enforce more strictly, but they try to at least keep skateboarders off the roads at night if nothing else. Councilor Gary Thompson said he had reached out to Gerstandt the week prior and opined that the council may need to revisit the ordinance down the line with all of the changes on the horizon in the world of ebikes.

Thompson raised a concern that by the letter of the law, the new ordinance wouldn’t even allow a customer at Black Tire to take a bike for a short test ride in front of the shop.

“I don’t know where we’re going with this. I wish Chief Jones was here. I know we can pass this tonight. I know we still can amend it at the third reading. I really think that Matt and Chief Jones need to have a discussion somehow before we do the third reading, or other bike experts or EV experts, because I’d like to make it easier for the police department (rather) than complicate it, but I want to make it right for the public too,” Thompson said. “So I will pass this tonight, but I still think we need to look at it, you know, the third one.”

City Administrator Carol Webb said they could postpone the third reading until Jones returns, and Gerstandt offered to participate in any further conversations with the goal of crafting an enforceable ordinance for the police. Weekley told the council that a committee looked at ordinances in other communities and state code before they drafted this new ordinance, and Thompson then commented that he was OK with passing the second reading and considering some minor changes as opposed to tabling the ordinance for the time being.

During the public comment period, Linda Clark said she frequently sees riders on bicycles with no lights or reflectors traveling around town at night and suggested requiring the licensing and inspection of bicycles.

“If we don’t have accountability and responsibility for the ones that are riding the bikes, and these are adults that I am seeing, and so please consider about that again. Go back to licensing the bicycles and inspecting them. I would very much appreciate that,” she said.

A motion to pass the second reading carried by a unanimous 7-0 vote.