ANN ARBOR, MI - Liana Hall says she loves the new Bird scooters in Ann Arbor and it's changing the way she's getting around.

They're often parked by the bicycle racks outside her downtown workplace on Main Street.

Though she uses a car to commute to work, once she's here, the small electric scooters -- rentable for $1 to start plus 20 cents per minute using a mobile app -- are a fun new option for short trips.

"We can ride them to Subway for lunch or ride them to our parking lot and leave them in the parking lot after work," she said while riding down Liberty Street on Monday after work.

Hall, who said she's using the scooters at least once a day, agrees the scooters shouldn't be ridden on sidewalks, which is illegal, but she's not sure about the city cracking down and confiscating Bird scooters that are left parked along city sidewalks.

"I don't see the problem with the parking necessarily as long as they're out of the way. They're helpful to a lot of people," she said. "People are allowed to leave their bikes everywhere, so I don't see why this is any different. You can just chain your bike to a sign and call it a day."

City spokeswoman Lisa Wondrash confirmed on Monday the city has impounded more than two dozen Bird scooters that the city determined were improperly left in bicycle lanes, streets or on sidewalks and may have impeded pedestrian, bicycle or vehicular traffic.

Wondrash shared this message from the city: "Do not leave scooters parked on the roads, sidewalks or bike paths and make sure they are clear from driveways, access ramps and fire hydrants."

So, where can they be parked? Wondrash said the city is currently working with Bird on a licensing agreement.

Once the terms are agreed upon, she said, it would set parameters for where scooters should be parked.

For instance, she said, that could include sidewalk extensions, allowing the scooters to be parked, for example, in the curbside area between landscape planters, where they wouldn't block pedestrian traffic.

So, where there's room for them outside of the main sidewalk path, they could be allowed under the licensing agreement.

Wondrash said the city also is not concerned about Bird scooters on private property, just the public right-of-way.

The licensing agreement is expected to go to City Council for approval and may include licensing fees. Wondrash said the terms and any negotiated fees are still in the works.

Bird couldn't be reached for comment.

Wondrash said Bird has been notified that some of its scooters have been taken by the city and are being stored at the city's public works facility, which some are now calling "the Bird cage."

There still are dozens of not-yet-confiscated Bird scooters available to rent in Ann Arbor, and many are parked along city sidewalks in the downtown area and around the University of Michigan campus.

Part of Bird's intention in deploying its scooters in Ann Arbor was to help UM students get around.

UM spokesman Rick Fitzgerald said there was no outreach to UM before the scooters appeared on Sept. 7.

The university is urging Bird users to comply with the law, which means no riding the scooters on sidewalks or in bicycle lanes -- only in the roadway as close to the right curb as possible.

According to UM, pedestrian areas on campus such as the Diag are considered sidewalks and are off limits to motorized scooters.

The university's Division of Public Safety and Security shared this additional advice on Sept. 14:

"When you are finished riding the scooter, it's important to keep it from interfering with the public right of way. Do not leave the scooters parked on the roads, sidewalks, bike paths, driveways, access ramps, stairways, landscaped areas or near fire hydrants. Scooters must be parked in bike racks or moped parking areas. Please walk the scooter to the bike rack if you must traverse a sidewalk.

"Lastly, never operate any motorized vehicle or scooter recklessly or under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Besides being dangerous, operating while impaired can result in an arrest and charge for operating under the influence."