Pine City Council passes truck route ordinance

The Pine City Council unanimously voted to pass an ordinance designating truck routes in the city at Wednesday's meeting.

"It's just trying to eliminate the big, heavy trucks just peeling down 13th to 6th to 10th, and running through our residential areas," said city planner Tabitha Pickett.

According to the ordinance, trucks with a gross weight in excess of six tons per axle are restricted to driving on federal, state, and county highways within Pine City.

The ordinance makes exemptions for emergency vehicles; school buses and buses "when engaged in the act of transporting pupils and residents"; city trucks; trucks delivering retail merchandise to a residential property; utility trucks "engaged in the construction or repair of utility company facilities"; and construction company trucks "when engaged in construction for a resident or developer."

Pickett said the city's public works department will be responsible for posting signage, including on exit ramps in the city.

"If we put these signs up and we don't have an ordinance, we don't have enforcement," Pickett said. "We have no way to say, 'hey, you can't be there,' because all we have is a sign there."

Violating the ordinance would result in a moving violation.

"I like that it's giving the residents the ability to call the company, whatever business it is," said city administrator Marcy Peterson. "As a resident, I can call and make a complaint to the company and something can be done, because I have the right to do that. That's what I like about this."

Council member Dave Hill said he expects to see fewer trucks on residential roads when the truck route signs are posted.

"A lot of it will be taken care of just by the signs being there," Hill said. "I think it's going to take care of itself."

"We're trying to change the culture," added council member Dan Swanson.

Pickett said the ordinance will follow Pine City's code enforcement policy, which is not intended to immediately pursue administrative citations or criminal charges.

"I think we need to go slow," Hill said. "The first year, absolutely no citations. Education is the important thing, and it's going to take a lot of it."

Council member Kyle Palmer made the motion to approve the ordinance, with the provision that the council and ordinance committee review it every even year to make sure it's being followed, and to determine if there is any need for adjustment.