San Juan Bautista officials for months have fielded citizen complaints—largely about noise, parking and speeding—regarding the Mission City’s signature streams of bikers flooding Third Street bars Friday afternoons through Sundays.
It appears last week was the last straw for City Manager Roger Grimsley.
At Tuesday’s council meeting, Grimsley recounted how bikers confronted him last week when he asked them “to remove themselves from the public right-of-way” in downtown San Juan.
“It’s something we’re going to have to address,” Grimsley told council members Tuesday.
The topic was a discussion item on Tuesday’s agenda and sparked a broad conversation about ways in which the city could address the issue through regulations—such as those with limits on noise and parking, or doing stricter enforcement of current laws on public alcohol consumption, smoking within 20 feet of business entrances and speeding.
Officials had mixed views on laws about limiting motorcycles to one bike per parking spot. Grimsley seemed sure it was possible, pointing out how other jurisdictions do it, and added another potential to enforce regulation as well.
“Theoretically, the code says the tire has to touch the curb,” said Grimsley, who also told council members to keep in mind any possible sales tax impacts from losing business.
There were a lot of questions, particularly from Councilman Chris Mortorana, on how the city could even proceed with enforcement, which falls on the one deputy assigned to San Juan.
Officials talked about necessary purchases, such as having to buy a noise meter, if they wanted to focus on that.
They also mentioned recently sitting down with the sheriff to brainstorm possible solutions.
Grimsley mentioned previously communicating with the deputy sheriff as well, over the city manager’s suspicion that some bikers are riding away from the bars intoxicated.
“So we’ve asked the deputy sheriff to, say, stop them and do a breathalyzer,” Grimsley said, adding how law enforcement officials have responded that they need a justifiable cause to pull them over.
Grimsley expressed concern about one possible negative impact from heightening enforcement against bikers in town, outside of lost sales tax revenue to the two main bars on Third Street, Mom & Pop’s and Daisy’s. That would be word getting out about the potential crackdown to gangs such as the Hells Angels, he said.
“And they’ll retaliate,” Grimsley said, “and there’s nothing worse than bringing in 500 to 600 motorcycles.”
Council members couldn’t make any decisions on the discussion item but agreed to bring back the topic for further consideration.
