The Santee City Council on Wednesday unanimously approved toughening regulations for e-bike riders by banning their use by those under age 12.

The ordinance will require a second and final vote in December.

“I am a very big supporter of this, public safety is one of our number one issues here,” Mayor John Minto said, noting that he has ridden his own e-bike over 6,000 miles.

The ordinance is in line with a state pilot program that took effect this year and allows cities in San Diego County to impose age restrictions for e-bike users. The program is set to run through 2029.

Santee will became the latest to implement the restriction, following Chula Vista, Coronado, Poway and, most recently, San Marcos.

The move will specifically ban children under 12 from operating Class 1 or Class 2 e-bikes. For the first 60 days after the ordinance goes into effect, violators will be issued a warning, but after the initial grace period, violations will be punishable by a $25 fine.

A Class 1 e-bike is defined as a bicycle equipped with a motor that provides assistance only when the rider is pedaling and can reach up to 20 mph. A Class 2 e-bike is equipped with a motor that can be used exclusively to propel the bicycle, and can also reach up to 20 mph.

San Diego Sheriff’s Office Deputy David Drake said it is equally important that helmets are worn by those operating e-bikes.

Riders of Class 1 and 2 e-bikes under the age of 17 are legally required to wear a helmet, he said.

City leaders warned that public education of the new regulation will be necessary once the ordinance goes into effect.

Councilmember Lauren Koval said the city should inform Santee schools of the change and consider putting up informational fliers.

Keeping parents informed of the restrictions could prevent repeat offenses, Minto added. Some parents might purchase an e-bike for their underage child without knowing it is banned, he said.

“I think a lot of adults are part of the problem,” Minto said. “At some point we will have to have a discussion about, if you have multiple offenses by the same child, what happens to the parent?”

The council is set to approve the ordinance Dec. 10. The city plans to hold a public information period leading up to its effective date on Jan 10.

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I attended Doechii’s concert at Gallagher Square on November 5th. Let’s say that if people think she’s truly an industry plant, then the industry needs to produce more artists like Doechii. The industry needs to enter more swamps because the Swamp Princess was putting on a show, from rapping to singing, in a theater or a play. I know SDSU was right around the corner, but many people received their degrees at Doechii University that night.

The crowd was decked out in green, and not that pretty green like emeralds; it was the swampy green of the swamp, as we all waited for the Tampa Bay legend to grace our presence.

Doechii Was Teaching ‘Art and Theater’ in San Diego

The night started with Doechii’s black and white visuals flickering across the screens, and then the spotlight hit her like Goku going Super Saiyan for the first time.

She began with “STANKA POOH,” with a behemoth record player and massive boombox speakers. “Childhood” memories are one thing; complete pandemonium is another.

A girl standing right next to me was yelling, ‘School is in session!’ and that we didn’t come to class with our homework!’

“I loved how every song was like a lesson,” another fan later reminded me. “Like, I was studying for the Swamp Princess midterm. And I was low-key taking notes!”

“And to be real with you,” she was absolutely right. Every song was like every chapter. Doechii had us learning, appreciating, and even taking emotional lessons.

“The Flow Was Different”

The moment she started spitting the rhymes, her flow was banging on my chest like bass therapy. She’s rhyming with the fervor of someone who is not about to squander any syllables.

One girl behind me screamed. “Her breath control was making me nervous. Watching her breathe was exhausting me. I need to get myself a gym membership.”

“Her stage presence is disrespectful,” another fan told me. “It’s like, what right do you have to be that talented at rap and performing?”

Facts. She changed seamlessly between rap and singing as if she had an entire team of songwriters in her head.

This Is Doechii’s World, We Just Live In It

Everything that has happened this year has been thanks to her pressure. “Anxiety” and “Denial is a River” dominated the streets and the charts.

Then she won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album with “Alligator Bites Never Heal” and was nominated for Best Rap Performance and Best New Artist.

A new player in the rap game taking home the championship right away is ridiculous. It is the same as if the player were drafted and won the MVP in their first year.

One fan had the perfect quote to offer about this: “Female rappers are always raising the bar, but Doechii is in the gym breaking the equipment.”

Miss Milan magnified that energy as if her sole task was to confirm that DJing is a combat sport.

Fans Went Crazy Over “NISSAN ALTIMA”  

When she dropped her rap “NISSAN ALTIMA,” the audience went absolutely mad. She was rhyming so quickly that she was pulled over for speeding.

A girl standing beside me cried out, “No one should be rapping this fast without a liability waiver. I need asthma meds!”

Even those who didn’t know the words to the song are dancing as if they had qualified for the final round in “So You Think You Can Dance” Swamp Edition.

“Strangers became strangers and started dancing with each other like club bathroom ‘you’re so pretty’ energy. Beautiful.”

Red Lights, Real Emotions

The show took a turn as the stage turned blood red, and she sang her rock rendition of “Anxiety.” It was like therapy for people who don’t believe in therapy. She followed it up with “DEATH ROLL”, which she revealed to be one of her most ‘vulnerable’, and then “BOOM BAP,” dropped, and the crowd went crazy.

She paused during her set to say:

“Thank you so much for defending me online from the trolls, the haters, and the bigots.”

The crowd erupted as the pride flags waved through the air. Love was insane. A girl in front exclaimed, “I’m fighting people for you like you pay my rent!”

The Moment Everyone Knew Was Coming

When the music video “DENIAL IS A RIVER” appeared, people just lost it. It was as if Beyoncé herself had come out. Cell phones weren’t even in sight. People were actually living in the moment. Yeah, right.

Constructed like a therapeutic conversation, the song had girls laughing, crying, and texting their therapist all at the same time.

During “WAIT”, she told everyone to hold hands, even strangers.

One girl grabbed my arm, like, “We linked up. I don’t care if we just met.” 

The Grand Finale

She stepped out from the stage, and the screeching began.

“Encore”

“Do not play with us!”

She returned with the question,

“What do y’all want to hear?”

The crowd replied,

“Yucky!”

She brought us “Yucky Blucky Fruitcake,” the original banger that was many people’s introduction to her Oh The Places You’ll Go EP.

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