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Kotzebue Drivers Face New Regulations

November 11th 7:11 pm | Hannah Heimbuch Print this article   Email this article   Create a Shortlink for this article

The New Year is prime time for meaningful changes — some we look forward to and some we don't.

For Kotzebue residents, the first day of 2012 marks the start of a long-time-coming change to driving regulations. Though the city is still uniquely flexible on what you can drive around (Kotzebue roads allow snow machines and all terrain vehicles as a viable means of travel) the paperwork has an official new twist. Whatever your vehicle of choice, it will need to be registered and insured by the first to operate legally on Kotzebue roadways.

Truth be told, this isn't a twist or a new anything for most cities. However, up until now, Kotzebue was one of more than 250 Alaskan communities exempt from typical Department of Motor Vehicle regulations.

"We've gone through considerable outreach to inform residents," said Whitney Brewster, the director of Alaska's Department of Motor Vehicles. "We didn't want to rush into this, because we knew it was a shift on how things are done in Kotzebue."

Cities averaging a traffic volume of less than 499 vehicles per day qualify for regulation exemptions, and it's been many years since a community has been booted off the list.

A 2008 study revealed that 14 of Kotzebue's 17 primary roads had a traffic volume exceeding 499, Brewster said, and one road that recorded 3,338 vehicles. With traffic at that volume, DMV officials decided it was time to include Kotzebue on the list of regulated cities.

Time to slap those shiny license plates on cars and trucks, time to register titles - if they can be found - and definitely time get everyone insured.

But how to go about that? There are vehicles that have changed hands five or six times without a title being exchanged, Brewster said. Kotzebue also serves as a hub for a number of villages scattered along the Chukchi Sea, and people often arrive into town via snow machine or ATV. This is not a simple transition.

"There were no regulations that really defined how the DMV notifies a community and its residents that the community no longer meets requirements," Brewster said.

So now it's three years later, and a lot of groundwork has been laid in the attempt to help residents comply with new regulations - but feelings about them are still fairly mixed.

"I think as a whole the feedback from the city has been one of concern," said City Finance Director Keith Greene, this week's acting city manager. Kotzebue already ranks up there by cost-of-living standards, Greene said, and any additional financial stress on families is cause for new concern.

Kotzebue resident Andy Baker is among those that think the community would be better off leaving well enough alone.

"I don't think it'll necessarily help us," Baker said. "I think it'll be a hindrance that we probably didn't need."

Brewster recognizes this sentiment and said time has been spent easing the change-up.

"Since (2008) we've worked very closely with leadership in Kotzebue," Brewster said.

Part of that collaboration includes Kotzebue's law enforcement.

"We are here to support the community, and do what we can to make it a safe community," said Chief of Police Craig Moates. "And I think that there are some aspects to the DMV and the regulations that will help us do our job better."

Part of that job will eventually include issuing tickets for those vehicles and their drivers not up to snuff on the new regs.

"They'll likely be handing out a lot of warnings, but at some point they're going to have to start fining people." Brewster said. She's hoping the community outreach and gradual transition will help prevent that from happening excessively.

While Brewster said she's definitely aware of community concerns about cost and the accessibility of the DMV, she's heard from others that think it's about time these changes kicked in. Plenty of people in Kotzebue do have insurance because of the value of their vehicles, she said, mentioning she's talked to people who've been hit by uninsured drivers and are frustrated with the complications and expense that entails.

While opinions are certainly still strong on both sides, the shift is coming in six weeks regardless.

"As it draws closer, I would really encourage people to start visiting the DMV office now," Brewster said. "We'll be happy to work with individual residents on how to comply."

Residents can access the State of Alaska DMV Web site, call (907) 442-2500 or visit the Kotzebue DMV on the second floor of the Baker Building at 240 Fifth Avenue.

 

Hannah Heimbuch can be reached at news@reportalaska.com

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