Repeal Ordinance NO. 5650-74 City Laws Applying to Bicycles (Vetoed)

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CITY OF SOUTH BEND South Bend, Indiana 46601 June 20, 1974 Jerry J. Miller Mayor The Honorable Irene Gammon City Clerk County -City Building South Bend, Indiana 46601 Dear Mrs. Gammon: This lette will serve as my official notification to veto Ordinance Numbe 685 -74 and Ordinance Number 5686 -74 for the following reasons. The proposed ordinance serves little purpose as a law because it is a voluntary law and would be just as effective as a resolution encouraging citizens to register and license their bicycles. Since 1940, the City of South Bend has had a mandatory bicycle license. There are more reasons today to continue this manda- tory procedure if enforcement measures are present than to switch to voluntary procedures. While a bicycle fund is established according to this ordinance, the benefits would go to both those who have registered bikes and those who have not. Therefore, there are not equal services or protection to all citizens. The Common Council Committee on Public Safety held two meetings prior to the filing of the recommended amendments on Ordinance Number 5650 -74 on May 22, 1974, with people representing the following groups: Valley Wheelers Club, local bicycle dealers, and parents with children. Also attending were committee members Taylor, Parent, and Horvath. The majority of those present were first opposed to any mandatory bicycle licensing, but after further study and discussion, the amendments favoring this mandatory licensing were filed nineteen days before the Council meeting of June 10. Another Public Safety Committee Meeting was held after the filing of the proposed amendments prior to the June 10 meeting