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<br />City Council Minutes Page 10 of 12 <br />September 15, 2025 <br />--------- <br /> <br /> <br />for them to use them on sidewalks. He would like to find a way to make it safe for pedestrians, <br />especially people who are older and have balance issues. He thinks bikes should ride on the road. <br /> <br />Councilmember Calva asked Mike Niziolek for his opinion regarding bikes on roads, as he is a bicyclist. <br />Councilmember Calva asked his preference if he spent most of the time biking on the road. Mr. <br />Niziolek stated yes, but doesn't think it is safe to be on the road. He said that a biker versus a car could <br />lead to death; on the other hand, a biker versus a human could lead to injury. <br /> <br />Councilmember Calva continued to ask Mr. Niziolek what they could do to make bikes on sidewalks <br />safe for pedestrians. <br /> <br />Mayor Dietz stated that maybe a rule depending on the area, instead of an overall rule. Mr. Niziolek <br />explained that it would be a bigger picture where different types of bikes would be safe to use in <br />different areas. He also suggested maybe looking at the speed of the areas as well. He suggested the <br />most important piece is the education piece. <br /> <br />Mayor Dietz stated that E-bikes can go 28 mph. <br /> <br />Mr. Portner suggested having staff look at the sidewalk systems to identify areas with the most activity <br />and come up with some restrictions for those areas. The Council agreed with that idea. <br /> <br />Mayor Dietz asked about the e-bikes, which can go 28 mph, and whether they should be off the <br />sidewalks for sure. <br /> <br />Councilmember Wagner stated that if they are going 28 mph, they should be on the street, but maybe if <br />they are going 8–10 mph. <br /> <br />Councilmember Calva brought up the fact that they are talking about bringing the speed down in the <br />neighborhoods on the streets but yet an e-bike can go 28 mph. <br /> <br />The Council directed staff to do a sidewalk study and bring it back to the Council. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> 10.2 Parking Policy on Streets Near Park/Trail Access Points <br /> The staff report was presented. <br /> <br />Mayor Dietz asked if they have to pave it or could it be gravel, and if it were gravel, would it reduce the <br />cost? Mr. Sandhoefner stated that it can be gravel, and it would reduce the cost. <br /> <br />Councilmember Calva asked if they could add more no-parking signs. <br /> <br />The Council asked Mr. Niziolek what people are doing. He stated they are using roadside parking as <br />there is no parking lot. <br /> <br />Councilmember Wagner asked if Watson was that busy of a road. The consensus was that it is not a <br />busy road. <br /> <br />Mayor Dietz asked how many cars are there at one time. Mr. Sandhoefner stated they have seen seven <br /> <br />