Golf cart ordinance passed by Village Council

You soon may be seeing golf carts on the streets of the village.

by Marsha Chartrand

In mid-July, a public comment during a Village Council meeting introduced the idea of using golf carts as an additional way of “commuting around town“ and providing a “little extra spice“ in the village.

The suggestion was met with interest by some Council members, so at the August 1 council meeting, Village Manager Michael Sessions provided a sample that could be used as a starting point for a new ordinance, should Council wish to pursue it.

“The only challenge I see with this ordinance is the route that individuals from the Riverbend Subdivision would have to take to get to the central business district or other parts of the community,“ Sessions explained in his notes to Council on Aug. 1. “This is due to the prohibition of being able to drive on a state highway. Golf carts can cross a state highway, but cannot directly drive on a state highway.“

Council discussed other safety issues, including angle parking downtown affecting vision fields for carts. Sessions also had not spoken to Sgt. Joel Gebauer about the potential ordinance, and Council directed him to get the perspective and review of the WCSO. The decision was then tabled to the Aug. 15 meeting.

At that time Sessions reported that both Gebauer and Lt. Alan Hunt had reviewed the ordinance and believed that it pretty much mirrored the state law on the terms. Sessions recommended approval of the Golf Cart Ordinance as presented, with a one-year sunset clause and with specific regulations for golf cart use.

A golf cart shall not be operated during inclement weather or with snow and/or ice on the road; shall not be operated on a sidewalk or other pathway constructed for the use of pedestrians (including the shared-use trails); shall be operated at a speed not to exceed 15 miles per hour; and shall not be operated on the streets of the village during the time period from one half hour before sunset to one half hour after sunrise.

Currently, the prohibition of driving on M-52 will still exist for golf carts. Carts may cross M-52 in a straight line to a local street to travel to other parts of the village.

The ordinance also prohibits off-road vehicles, such as Gators, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), any multitrack or multi-wheel drive vehicles, dune buggies, or like vehicles. These are not considered golf carts.

The ordinance becomes effective on September 4.

For as little as $1 a month, you can keep Manchester-focused news coverage alive.

by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.