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Council delays golf‑cart ordinance after residents complain of lack of notice; vote set for March 18 after DAB review
Summary
Council members voted 6‑1 to defer a proposed ordinance that would legalize some golf‑cart street use, directing staff to take the draft to district advisory boards and hold a February workshop before a March 18 evening council vote.
The Wichita City Council voted 6‑1 on Tuesday to defer action on a proposed golf‑cart ordinance after residents told the council they learned of the draft only days before the first reading and said the proposal was not publicly vetted through neighborhood advisory channels.
“Please pull this, do the correct transparent things, send this to district advisory boards, notify homeowners associations, and allow public comment,” resident Stephanie Pittman said in public comment, telling the council she and neighbors had not been notified.
Vice Mayor Johnston asked that the item be pulled from the consent agenda and suggested the draft be returned to the district advisory boards (DABs) for community input and a council workshop. City legal staff confirmed state law currently makes operation of a golf cart on city streets unlawful unless a city authorizes it; the proposed ordinance would have allowed golf carts on city streets outside the downtown core where the posted speed limit is 30 mph or less and set an age minimum (the draft uses 18) and other equipment requirements.
Council members expressed differing views about process and substance. Council Member Glasscock said the ordinance moves the city “in the right direction” by legalizing activity that is currently illegal, but she supported more public input and future amendments. Council Member Ballard and others urged more neighborhood outreach; Council Member Glasscock said she would not support deferral if it restored the prior full prohibition.
The motion the council approved sends the draft to DABs (except District 1, which asked to delay until March) for feedback, directs staff to gather DAB feedback and present it at a February workshop, and schedules the ordinance for a March 18 evening meeting. The motion passed by voice vote with a recorded tally of yes 6, no 1 (motion recorded as “Deferred to March 18”).
Council and staff identified key topics to return to the public: the proposed age or driver‑license threshold, core downtown exclusions, nighttime operation and lighting requirements, and rules for crossing arterial streets. City Manager Layton said staff will present DAB feedback and options at the planned February workshop and the March 18 evening meeting.
The deferral preserves the current legal status: without a city ordinance authorizing golf carts, operating them on city streets remains illegal under state law, staff said. Vice Mayor Johnston and council members encouraged residents to attend DAB meetings and the March 18 evening session to give input before any ordinance is adopted.
