Some Unalaskans were preparing to hit the streets in their four-wheelers and side-by-side all-terrain vehicles after city council members voted Tuesday to remove a local ban on all-purpose vehicles.
But on Thursday evening, Mayor Vince Tutiakoff Sr. vetoed the change to city code, citing safety and enforcement concerns.
The Unalaska City Council voted 4-2 Tuesday to change city code, allowing all-purpose vehicles or APVs on public roads within city limits.
In a Thursday statement, Tutiakoff said he wants the public to weigh in on the issue instead.
“I would support a resolution to place the matter of this code amendment on the ballot at the next municipal election,” he wrote.
Tutiakoff also serves as chairman of the board of directors for the Ounalashka Corp., which is the regional Alaska Native corporation and a prominent landowner in Unalaska. Representatives for the corporation have argued against allowing APVs on public roads over the past few months.
Ounalashka’s president, Denise Rankin, said Tuesday that the organization was concerned the code change would have meant “more off-roading potential,” with an increase in small vehicles on the island.
Council members decided to raise the fine for off-roading during their Nov. 12 meeting in response to Ounalashka comments. Anyone found unlawfully using an APV on private lands — including the corporation’s — would have been subject to a $1,000 fine.
Tutiakoff called the penalty “reasonable” but said an undue burden would have been placed on landowners in monitoring their lands and gathering evidence of trespassing.
He also expressed concern for driver safety, writing that APVs are “not a good fit” on roads shared by industrial traffic. He said the Unalaska Department of Public Safety is “not prepared for the influx” of APVs on public roads.
Before Tuesday’s vote, council member Thom Bell — who ultimately voted in favor of the change — emphasized the importance of safety.
“I would implore and encourage all the users that would take advantage of this ordinance and operate APVs on the road to be respectful of the community, personal property, private property, and operate in a responsible manner,” Bell said.
Former council member and vice mayor Dennis Robinson expressed concern about the difficulties of reaching a hospital from the island.
“If passing this ordinance, the first death is on your hands,” he told the council.
Had the veto not come down, APV operators on public roads would have been subject to regulations like all other drivers. They would have needed a driver’s license, registration, license plate and signal lights, among other standard requirements.
Unalaska City Manager Bil Homka confirmed that operating APVs on public roads remains illegal. The City Council has 21 days to override the veto with a two-thirds majority vote.
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