City council listened for well over an hour to 15 residents speak about the proposed snowmobile bylaw at its meeting Monday night.

Issues included everything from concerns with the restriction on using ropes to tow toboggans to the city renting unregistered snowmobiles to assist with upcoming Arctic Winter Games events.

The bylaw, it was said, needs to emphasize it is against the law for anybody under 16 without a motor vehicle licence to operate a snowmachine, anywhere in the city, council heard.

Enforcement or lack thereof was spoken to several times.

One Riverdale mother wondered what could be done about the snowmobiles that blast up and down the streets and alleyways at night, sending out that distinctive "rat, rat ... rat, rat, rat,” that yanks her five-year-old out of her deep sleep.

There's already a noise bylaw, it was pointed out by a handful who spoke.

If the city plans to target the snowmobiles specifically, they said, it had better sharpen up the pen to do the same for motorbikes, diesel trucks, and even some cars.

"737s when it's 40-below,” quipped Coun. Kirk Cameron.

Some suggested continued respect and tolerance for the pursuits of others will inevitably produce the best solution.

Overall, said many, trail users are courteous.

There are a few bad apples – mostly kids, or so it was said – but for the most part, those riding or walking are mindful of others using the trail.

Some said regardless of the circumstances, there is a very real need to establish non-motorized trails for residents who shouldn't have to wonder if a snowmobile is going to go whizzing by while they're walking their dog.

"I didn't know I had to wear a helmet and reflective gear at night to keep myself safe,” Hillcrest resident Peter Long said of going for walk, adding he's heard some scary stories.

Terry Boone said he is an avid user of the Riverdale trails both as a runner and an operator of motorized vehicles.

"I do not see a problem out there,” he told members of council.

There is, said Boone, the odd kid, but that doesn't mean the city has to try to legislate everybody.

He also cautioned the city about putting too much stock in advice from the community association, because sometimes the association's view to a solution is to simply ban everything without paying enough attention to public education.

There's no reason, it was suggested by some, the city can't have trails designated for non-motorized use only, mixed use, and motorized use only.

The proposed snowmobile bylaw is the product of a lengthy review that began in 2010 with the appointment of a task force.

A period of public consultation followed, including a public survey. A subsequent public review of the initial draft was held late last year.

Council was presented with the revised bylaw for consideration in late January. It passed first reading Jan. 30.

A detailed report on issues raised last night will be presented next Monday.

The bylaw in its current form is scheduled for second and final reading Feb. 27.

Initially passed in 1972, the city last revisited the snowmobile bylaw in the early 1990s.

While the issue of allowing snowmobiles on streets and on trails next to residential areas, along with the potential for conflict between trail users, was among the main topics last night, there were also issues with specific sections of the bylaw.

Among those raised were:

• 90 per cent of the snowmobiles in the Yukon are not registered or licensed, and by the city intending to rent unregistered snowmobiles for the Arctic Winter Games, it is only fostering non-compliance of the city bylaw, council heard.

• Requiring a hard tow-hitch and prohibiting the use of a rope to pull a toboggan is unnecessary and turns family fun time into an illegal activity; and it also creates a greater safety hazard, as a sled fastened by a hard-hitch tends to be more unstable and tips more easily.

• The current map outlining the authorized snowmobile trails needs serious work, council heard.

• The fines provided for in the bylaw are excessive, as is the ability to seize a snowmachine for various infractions, when even territorial legislation only allows vehicle seizures in the most serious of offences, council heard.

• Requiring residents to obtain a safe-user snowmobile certification card from the city opens up a can of worms, beginning with who designs the program and the test; – allowing Yukoners living outside city limits to snowmobile inside the city for a period of two weeks without a card would be unfair;

– It may be unfair to require an 80 per cent test mark from someone who can't read but is entirely comfortable on a snowmachine, while allowing a foreigner who's never seen a snowmachine to operate one for two weeks without a safety card;

– It's redundant for the city to require a safety card certification and some sort of snowmobile identification number when the Motor Vehicles Act already requires a driver's licence and registration;

Council was also advised to consider postponing passage of the snowmobile bylaw until it sees what comes from the current review of the ATV bylaw, since there are so many overlapping issues.