The Loyall City Council agreed Monday during the regular monthly meeting to ban all four-wheelers from operating on roadways within the city limits due to recent problems caused by riders in the city.

Mayor Clarence Longworth reported during the meeting that last week while police chief Chris Haught was out of town attending a training session in Richmond, he as well as the Harlan City Police dispatchers had received numerous calls of complaints concerning reckless four-wheelers within the city.

“You were probably not even at the Pineville bridge when it started,” said Longworth to Haught.

Longworth said he received a call and immediately called the Harlan dispatchers, who take the Loyall complaints when the police department is closed, and they informed him that they had also received several complaints.

Longworth said area officers were dispatched to Loyall on the complaint and they had immediately responded. He noted that the incident shouldn’t have happened, especially so soon after Haught had left the area.

Haught said he agreed that there was no other way to stop the reckless driving than to ban all four-wheelers from the city, noting that it was actually against the law for them to be riding on the highway in the first place.

“I have always tried to look the other way when someone is on the highway and I know they are trying to get to a trail, but if they are going to do this when my back is turned, then we have no other choice but to stop them altogether,” said Haught.

Longworth said while he would agree that four-wheeling can be fun and exciting, he noted that a community is not the place for it, especially when riders do not abide by the laws, regulations and recommendations of the state guidelines or the makers of the machines.

Loyall resident David Wacks, who was present at Monday’s meeting, requested that the council reconsider banning the four-wheeler riding, noting that it was not fair to the ones who abide by the laws.

Longworth responded by telling Wacks that he agreed that there were riders who do abide by the laws. However, he also noted that it was too difficult to sort out those riders from the troublemakers. He also said there there was no way he or the council could legally give anyone permission to ride on the roadways due to the fact that it takes longer than the state designated two-tenths of a mile to reach a trail from anywhere in the city limits.

“Can I ask if you won’t reconsider now, will you give it a year and then maybe reconsider?” asked Wacks.

Longworth said neither he nor the council could make any promises about anything because state law prohibits riders from riding more than the two-tenths of a mile to reach a trail.

Wacks said he felt it was too bothersome to have to load his four-wheeler up on a trailer in order to get to a trail. However, the council along with Longworth said when riders from other areas come into Loyall to ride the trails, they always have to load their bikes up on trailers.

Council member Kenneth Colinger, who also enjoys four-wheeling, said he had already gotten a trailer to haul his vehicle and suggests that everyone who enjoys the sport do the same.

The four-wheeler problem was brought up at last month’s council meeting, and Longworth pointed out Monday that the council had given the riders this period of time to show their respect and it had not worked out.

The attending council members agreed unanimously to ban four-wheelers from being ridden on the roadways within the city limits. The change will take effect immediately.

All members of the council were present Monday with the exception of James Hagy.

In other business Monday, the council heard the first reading of the 2009-10 budget, noting that the budget showed no errors and looked good for the upcoming fiscal year.

There will be a special-called meeting for the second reading of the budget on June 16 at 7 p.m.