Council declines to expand snowmobile access on city streets

The Rhinelander Common Council is satisfied with the current restrictions on snowmobile use within city limits, citing safety concerns and infrastructure challenges, but the door has been left open for snowmobile clubs to propose specific plans in the future.
A discussion about potentially opening city streets to snowmobilers took place during the council’s Jan. 12 meeting, after a resident raised the issue during public comment at a previous meeting. City administrator Patrick Reagan had reached out to neighboring communities like Eagle River and Minocqua, as well as local snowmobile clubs, to gauge interest in changing the ordinance.
According to Reagan, snowmobile clubs identified two potential benefits to expanded access: creating consistency with surrounding communities’ ordinances and establishing a trailhead connection to downtown that could provide an economic boost by allowing visiting snowmobilers easier access to local businesses.
However, council members expressed numerous reservations about expanding snowmobile access throughout the city.
Alderperson Steven Jopek, who requested the item be placed on the agenda, said he was primarily concerned about safety. “Not getting hit by a snowmobile, or hitting a snowmobile is good too,” Jobek said, adding that he would firmly oppose open access to downtown.

The city’s new police chief, Josh Chiamulera, also provided written feedback expressing concerns about the proposal, which council members said carried significant weight in their deliberations.
Council president Carrie Mikalauski talked about the challenges associated with attempting to operate a snowmobile on a city street as opposed to a dedicated trail. “Unless you have a lot of snow on the streets, it’s darn near impossible to steer those machines,” she said, noting that Rhinelander’s layout differs from communities like Hurley that allow street access. “Our city is just built different.”
She also pointed to safety concerns about crossing high-traffic roads like River Street and questioned whether there were viable routes for snowmobilers to reach trailheads without significant risk.
Several council members raised concerns about wear and tear on both city streets and the snowmobiles themselves. Reagan noted that riding on bare pavement quickly damages sleds, which could ironically encourage riders to travel at unsafe speeds to minimize the damage.
Alderman Luke Kramer shared feedback from a friend who grooms trails for a local snowmobile club, who said it would be physically impossible to install adequate signage if all city streets were opened to snowmobiles. The groomer suggested that even if speed limits were posted, snowmobilers would likely exceed them to avoid damaging their machines on pavement.
Alderman David Holt broke the discussion into three categories: allowing residents to travel from their homes to nearby trailheads, designating specific crossing points where persistent traffic would require infrastructure improvements, and making broader investments to open downtown to snowmobile traffic.
While acknowledging that facilitating quality of life for residents is part of the council’s role, Holt said he was satisfied with the current ordinance unless a viable proposal emerged. “I don’t really know that the city has an obligation here to try to game this out, especially when we don’t have a whole lot of expertise on snowmobiles on this council,” he said.
Under the current ordinance, city residents cannot ride snowmobiles from their properties to trailheads on city streets, though some crossing points are already designated and marked.
The council directed city administration to inform snowmobile clubs that while they’re willing to consider specific proposals, they’re satisfied with the status quo without one. Reagan noted that the busy grooming season means any proposals likely wouldn’t come before the council until April or May.
Alderman Gerald Anderson said he would not favor expanding snowmobile access but would be willing to discuss specific proposals if they were brought forward. “I think it’s much more complicated when you talk about snowmobiles than about ATVs,” Anderson said, expressing concern that drivers wouldn’t expect to suddenly encounter snowmobiles on city streets.
The council ultimately took no action to change the existing ordinance.