© 2024 KRCU Public Radio
90.9 Cape Girardeau | 88.9-HD Ste. Genevieve | 88.7 Poplar Bluff
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Cape Council Gives First Reading Passage Of Scooter, Underage Drinking Ordinances

The Cape Girardeau City Council on October 1, 2012.
Jacob McCleland
/
KRCU

The Cape Girardeau City Council gave first round passage to an ordinance that regulates scooters at Monday night’s meeting. It requires scooter drivers to wear helmets and carry insurance. The ordinance also prohibits scooters under 50 cc’s from streets with a speed limit in excess of 35 miles per hour.

The helmet and street limitations are an attempt to improve safety following the death of a Southeast Missouri State University student who died in September after her scooter was hit by a truck.

Council member Mark Lanzotti supported the ordinance and introduced the insurance amendment. 

“The inclusion of an insurance requirement sets a financial responsibility,” Lanzotti said. “Should that scooter operator cause some sort of damage, whether that be property or personal injury, that they are insured just like any other driver would be.” 

Missouri law does not require operators to license a scooter, carry insurance or wear a helmet.

The ordinance passed 6 to 1. Trent Summers was the lone “no” vote. He cited concerns about government taking the role of personal responsibility.

Several Southeast Missouri State University students opposed the scooter ordinance. They argued it was their right to choose whether or not to wear a helmet and that prohibiting scooters on roads with a 30 mile per hour speed limit or higher would greatly reduce where they can travel. Council member Loretta Schneider later introduced an amendment that allows scooters on roads with a speed limit below 35 miles per hour.

Council also gave first reading approval to an ordinance to curb underage drinking. The ordinance prohibits minors from being inside bars after 10 p.m.

Only businesses that make 35 percent of their revenue from alcohol sales will be affected.

Councilmember Mark Lanzotti supported the ordinance. He says it will not impact restaurants that sell alcohol.

“Really this is an ordinance that’s targeted for what would classically be understood to be a bar,” Lanzotti said.

Councilman Trent Summers voted against the ordinance because he is not sold on its effectiveness.

“I’m lax to add ordinances or regulations to businesses without knowing for sure that it is attacking the problem that we’re setting out to attack,” Summers said.