No direction to Mexico city staff came from the Mexico City Council on whether it would encourage the staff to look at the possibility of allowing off-highway vehicles on roads in town.

During its June 9 meeting, council discussed the idea of usage of off-highway vehicles, such as golf carts and UTVs, on city roads. Council Member Vicki Briggs was absent from the meeting.

“They didn’t feel there was any consensus in regards to direction or support and therefore nothing is moving forward,” City Manager Bruce Slagle told the Ledger on June 11.

Council heard a report from Mexico Public Safety Department Chief Brice Mesko, who distributed information to council members that included a brochure explaining the various vehicles from the Missouri State Highway Patrol, clarification of vehicles not listed in the brochure, portions of all applicable state laws and the applicable Codes of Federal Regulation. The council also received a review of information gathered in 2020 and 2023, the proposed ordinance that did not pass in 2023 and additional information gathered this year. 

“In summary, these vehicles are not designed for roadway use and some provide less protection in the event of a crash,” Mesko said about off-highway vehicles. “The state of Missouri does not allow these vehicles on roadways, but does allow limited exceptions. Further, the state of Missouri has allowed for cities to provide greater exceptions inside city limits. 

“It has been the position of Mexico Public Safety that the roadways in a community this size or greater are created, maintained and policed so that people can safely get from one place to another,” he said. “Using the state authorized exceptions, event permits and practical enforcement, we feel that all residents and visitors can safely use the roadways to meet their many different, legitimate and simultaneous goals. We feel that no further exceptions are necessary.”

He added that through the years, during these discussions, Mexico Public Safety has never actively campaigned against these exceptions.

“We’ve never spoken on the radio or done articles or made social media posts,” he said. 

But he said he has seen people change their examples of the hardships they are experiencing and that they require exceptions, but he said other solutions exist. He said the law already provides exceptions for legitimate purposes, such as for business purposes.

“So in short, really, any exception that is passed, it’s kind of a subjective decision about what is safe and what is not,” he said. 

He said he encouraged council to give a “reasonable amount of time” to consider all the information in the report, seek clarification that is needed and that there are many variables to consider when the city authorizes its roadways to be used in exception to law and against manufacturer recommendations.

Council Member Larry Webber said when he brought up the issue at a recent meeting, he did not intend to advocate for or against the off-highway vehicles.

“I thought that the people who came in (to ask about the issue) deserved an answer (about) are we going to address it or are we not going to address it,” he said. A resident recently appeared at a council meeting asking about the vehicles being used on streets.

Council discussed certain vehicles being used on roads, and heard that certain vehicles, such as golf carts, can be used during certain events in which users can obtain use permits and that they must comply with police rules on their usage. Council then discussed the matter further before providing no direction to city staff.

Slagle said on June 11 during an interview that businesses may use off-roadway vehicles for temporary periods on the road during the course of business, and that kind of usage is allowed under state law.

Also at the meeting, council approved:

• The purchase of 48 programmed, Motorola Minitor 7 radio pagers with charging bases from Wireless USA of Columbia for $21,072 for the Mexico Public Safety Department.
• The purchase of a new effluent pump for the Wastewater Treatment Plant from Vandevanter Engineering at a total cost of $42,614.