At a March 15 meeting, commissioners approved a letter to Utah Governor Spencer Cox asking him to veto House Bill 146, which limits municipalities’ powers to regulate ATV businesses. The bill passed both houses of the legislature and awaits Cox’s signature. The county’s letter points out that substantial amendments to the bill were made with very little time left in the general session, and after committee hearings; that Moab is the only Utah town where ATV trails are largely accessed by driving through residential neighborhoods; and that Grand County crafted its business license code in an attempt to address noise complaints from residents, after the state legislature denied Moab the ability to impose a nighttime curfew on ATVs on city streets. County Attorney Christina Sloan said that if Cox does sign the bill into law, it still won’t be effective until May, so the county will have some time to come up with alternative measures.
“We continue to work with our ATV businesses, with the Chamber [of Commerce], with the city and of course we’re interested in hearing from the public during the whole process,” Sloan said.
