Lookout Mountain, Ga. Mayor Bill Glascock could not get the City Council to make a motion on Thursday for allowing golf carts on city streets even though the council had no objections to the concept. After hearing city attorney Bill Pickering read through a draft of the ordinance, the council members asked him to make a few changes and check on the legality of some issues.
Mr. Pickering highlighted the major items in the ordinance. Golf carts, he said, would be allowed on almost all city streets but not on any county or state highways. The prohibited streets are: Red Ridinghood Trail, McFarland Road, and Lulu Lake Road. Golf carts would be allowed to cross Red Ridinghood Trail at Cinderella Road.
Other cart restrictions mention by Mr. Pickering include: carts must be able to attain a speed of 15 mph but cannot exceed 19 mph, no nighttime driving of golf carts, carts must have head lights, tail lights, and turn signals, carts must stay on roadways (not pedestrian pathways), carts must be registered at City Hall with proof of insurance, and carts must have seatbelts for all riders.
Mr. Pickering gave the following restrictions for drivers of golf carts: drivers must obey all laws, drivers must have a valid driver’s license, and drivers and all passengers must use seat belts.
Enforcement of the ordinance, Mr. Pickering said would be by the police department. The draft ordinance stipulates fines ranging from $25 to $500. Mr. Pickering said he recommends the highest fine be used for drivers of carts on prohibited roads, seat belt violations, and minor children not being constrained. He emphasized to the council they had the right to set the fines at any price.
The registered owner of any cart involved in three violations of the golf cart ordinance may have the registration revoked, Mr. Pickering said.
Mr. Pickering told the council he included a sunset provision in the draft ordinance. If approved, he said, the ordinance will expire after three years unless the council specifically approves an extension.
The draft ordinance had required each cart to display the fluorescent triangle sign for slow moving vehicles but council members agreed to drop that provision.
The council stopped short of making a motion to approve the ordinance and asked Mr. Pickering to make the changes they recommended and check on the legal issue of infant car seats on golf carts.
Mayor Glascock said the ordinance would be on the agenda for a called meeting of the council tentatively scheduled for Monday, June 21 at 5:30 p.m. That meeting would be preceded by a public hearing on the FY2011 city budget. The meeting date and time are subject to change, he said. He thanked Councilman David Bennett and Mr. Pickering for their good work on drafting the ordinance.
In other business, Mayor Glascock said he will not spend any more money for sidewalks or anything else until a balanced budget for 2011 is passed. He said former mayor Tom Gifford has helped him prepare a budget and they think they have found a way to fund the sidewalks.
In the mayor’s report, Mayor Glascock addressed the issue of stop signs. He said there have already been a couple of requests for new stop signs since he took office. He said that anyone requesting a new stop sign should petition the property owners nearest the proposed sign and ask them to sign a petition to show their approval. The petition could then be presented to the City Council, he said.
Mr. Pickering said while a petition is a good idea, the ultimate decision must remain with the council and the underlying reason must be safety.
Mayor Glascock commended Sandy Gothard and the steering committee which studied and drafted a comprehensive plan for the city. The plan has been passed to the Municipal Planning Commission. The steering committee has been dissolved, he said.
Councilman David Fussell told his fellow council members he has noticed foliage encroaching on city streets. He said it is a problem for pedestrians and will be a problem if golf carts are allowed. He asked if there was a way to get property owners to take responsibility and cut the foliage back from the roadway.
Mayor Glascock suggested the city do a courtesy cut of the foliage and send the property owner a letter and say the first time was a courtesy, the next time will be billed by the city. “It costs a lot of money to put a man on a bush hog for a whole day,” he said.
Mr. Fussell liked the idea, but suggested the city send a letter ahead of the courtesy cut and give the property owner ten days to comply.
Mr. Bennett said the police have been issuing warnings for the past two weeks to property owners where foliage is encroaching on the street. It is preferable that the property owner cut it and not the city, he said.
No formal action was taken. Mayor Glascock said he may address the issue in a community-wide letter.