On the road again – UTVs use

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2030
photo by Kim Cameron Kremmling Police Officer Bob Dillon discusses trails and road usage with UTV drivers visiting Kremmling over the 4th of July weekend.
photo by Kim Cameron Kremmling Police Officer Bob Dillon discusses trails and road usage with UTV drivers visiting Kremmling over the 4th of July weekend.

Open use of Off Highway Vehicles (OHVs) in the city limits of Kremmling is now being researched. A committee consisting of town trustee Wes Howell, Chief of Police Scott Spade, and community citizens Erik Woog, Cale Smiley, Bob Overholt,and Shane Bodemann have been tasked with determining viability.

OHV is a broad term that can include four-wheelers, ATVs, golf carts, and other utility vehicles. An existing Kremmling ordinance allows for ingress/egress for public land access and limited utilitarian function for OHV operation within the town now. After meeting the committee members agreed that the existing OHV ordinance is relevant and sufficient for ATV, motorcycle and snowmobile, however doesn’t seem so regarding UTV use and thus that their attention should be on drafting a suitable ordinance specifically for UTV use while leaving the other intact.

UTVs are essentially all side by side (often written as SxS) type off highway vehicles. In all respect they might be considered consistent with automobiles in that UTV’s employ passenger restraints, headlights, taillights and other safety features such as windshields and roll cages. UTVs are all titled and registered on a state level.

This would be consistent with many other municipalities in the state – to name a few, Hot Sulphur Springs, Granby, Hayden and Meeker. Neighboring states such as Wyoming, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico also allow UTV operation on roads and streets following model traffic code. Currently Colorado is considering legislation for the same.

Chief Spade’s main request is that the policy adopted would be enforceable. However, if Colorado adopts legislation that allows UTVs to be driven on Colorado roadways – Kremmling would of course be included. Until then the committee is looking at drafting an ordinance to accommodate UTV travel within city limits consistent with the state proposed legislation.

In public comment, both Cale Smiley and Kremmling Police Sergeant Todd Willson, discussed how UTV use in town could serve as an economic stimulus as recreationalists, campers and hunters use their UTV around town. Town trustee Guy Bakke, stated “If we go down this road, it needs to be very meticulously regulated…We need to go slow.”