Marathon ATV, UTV use on track
Village residents will soon be able to operate them on streets
By mid-February of next year, Marathon City residents should be able to hop on their ATVs and UTVs and ride around most village streets as long as they follow a few rules.
Last week Wednesday, the village board gave preliminary approval to a new ordinance that allows ATVs and UTVs to operate on every street except Highway 107 (Main Street). Final approval is expected in January, with full implementation of the ordinance anticipated by the following month.
Village administrator Andy Kurtz said it will take some time for local police to be trained on DNR regulations that oversee ATV/UTV operation and for the village to update its system with DNR codes that need to be enforced.
“There’ll be a little bit of time between when it’s adopted and when it’s actually in effect,” he said.
The ordinance, which went through multiple revisions before it was approved, allows residents along Highway 107 to travel up to one block away from their home in order to access one of the other streets where operation is allowed.
“So, let’s say you live between Sixth and Seventh (Street), and you’re looking to use an ATV/UTV, if you live in the middle of the block, you go south and get on Seventh Street to go somewhere or you can go north and get on Sixth Street,” Kurtz said. Riders can also use alleys as long as they are paved, he added.
Under the ordinance, the village president or designee can temporarily shut down ATV/UTV traffic on any street for up to 30 days “due to an emergency, construction, or any other necessary condition.”
The ordinance requires operators to be at least 16 years old and hold a valid driver’s license; anyone under 18 must also have an ATV certification. Operators must also hold liability insurance that provides coverage for $10,000 worth of property damage, $25,000 for injury or death of a person and $50,000 for the injury or death of more than one person.
A 25 mph speed limit is established in the ordinance, but riders are also advised to maintain a speed that “is reasonable and prudent under the conditions” with “regard for actual and potential hazards.” Riders are also required to travel single-file along the far right side of the pavement and can only operate between the hours of 5 a.m and 10 p.m.
ATVs/UTVs must be equipped with proper lighting and either a muffler or other noise suppression system, and “operated to prevent excessive or unusual noise.”
“No occupant may ride on any part of an ATV or UTV not designed or intended to be used by passengers,” the ordinance states.
Riders under the age of 18 are required to wear a helmet according to the ordinance.
Kurtz said he also edited a provision to make it clear that any trailers must “comply with the towing capacity of the vehicle” and not block a motorist’s view of the rider.
Before the ordinance can officially go into effect, signs need to be put up along village streets indicating where ATVs and UTVs are permitted. At $50 per sign, Kurtz estimates the total cost to be just under $1,000 for 18 to 19 signs. Private donations are being raised to cover that cost, he noted.
In response to a question from a trustee, Kurtz confirmed that the ATV/ UTV route would be open year round.
The board approved a $2.5 million tax-increment anticipation note, which will finance work related to business park expansion north of STH 29. According to projections from financial consultants, Ehlers and Associates, the village’s TIF district 1 has enough tax revenue coming in from current developments to make the debt payments. People’s State Bank offered the note with a 5.2 percent interest rate.
The board approved an updated 2023 employee handbook, which includes an added section about the proper use of social media by the village and its employees. The policy allows employees to express their opinions online, but they are “expected to never create, post, be tagged in or share anything that would be potentially embarrassing to the Village or considered offensive in the community.” Disciplinary action could be taken for violating the policy.
The policy also lays out how villagecontrolled Facebook pages and other social media accounts are to be handled, with policy discussions prohibited and public access guaranteed unless a user is banned for documented reasons. The use of social media for village purposes must be “explicitly approved” by the village administrator, the policy states.
The board approved the appointment of Ann Wodora as an EMT. She is already certified as an EMT and has previously served as one in another municipality.
The board approved a certified survey map of a newly separated parcel in the town of Cassel, located at the end of Third Street where it turns into Scotch Creek Road. Kurtz said the Wilichowski farm is splitting off 5.7 acres of land from its agricultural property, and it is likely to be rezoned for housing. The village is allowed to review and sign off on parcel changes within 1.5 miles of village limits, he noted.
The board approved a 2022 update of the Marathon County AIIHazards Mitigation Plan, which spells out what is supposed to happen in the wake of natural disaster and other catastrophic emergencies. Before approving the plan, trustees talked about needing to supply village hall, which is designated as a shelter space, with backup power in case of a longterm outage. Kurtz said he would look into the cost of purchasing switch gear for the village’s portable generator. Otherwise, he said it would cost between $35,000 and $40,000 for the hall to have its own generator.
“If you have the portable generator here, it’s not at the fire station and it’s not at one of our lift stations, so it’s a prioritization type thing,” he said. “Where do we need it? What do we need to have running?”
