« Ind. Decisions - Supreme Court issues three more opinions today | Main | Ind. Decisions - Court of Appeals issues 7 today (and 12 NFP) »
Friday, May 16, 2008
Ind. Law - Even more on golf carts in Greene County
This ILB entry from Nov. 9, 2007 quoted a story in the Green County Daily World that began: "Golf carts on the streets of Bloomfield once again dominated much of the discussion during the Bloomfield Town Council's meeting on Wednesday night."
Six months later, the May 14th, 2008 Bloomfield Free Press reports:
Golf carts on town streets, as well as football played within the town limits were both topics of discussion at the Bloomfield Town Council meeting Tuesday evening. * * *During the discussion of golf carts - a rather contentious subject at the time - Councilman Aaron Hamm told the council that he had researched the matter and had found that golf carts are specifically not mentioned in state law.
"There is nothing that says you can't have them," he said. "And, there is nothing that says you can drive them on town streets."
Hamm also said that he questioned why youngsters were allowed to ride 'mini-crotch rockets' on town streets, but golf carts are illegal.
The town currently has an ordinance outlawing golf carts on town streets which dates back six or seven years. It was enacted after a former town councilman and a late resident got into a verbal altercation about the use of golf carts in town.
Within a month, the carts were outlawed - with the resident, Rick Vandeventer, fighting for their reinstatement until his death last year.
Hamm said that Portland, Ind., for example, allows golf carts on its city streets with very strict ordinances governing their use.
Although the public in the past overwhelmingly endorsed the use of golf carts on town streets, the council noted that it had a number of concerns - including safety issues.
"If this ordinance is enacted and it is found later to be a safety issue, is it something that can be repealed?" Lt. Shane Smith of the Bloomfield Police Department asked.
Town Council President Jo Ann Hanauer Carmichael said, "absolutely, especially if there are safety issues."
Councilman Roger Doane said he is completely against golf carts on town streets - an opinion he has expressed in the past. "If this comes up for a vote, I will vote no," he said.
Former Town Marshal Bob Richardson told the board that the use of golf carts could also put a crimp in the traffic flow patterns in town - because they move slower than the normal traffic.
The matter was tabled for further study and review.
Posted by Marcia Oddi on May 16, 2008 07:12 AM
Posted to Indiana Law