Park City council adopts ordinance legalizing golf carts and UTVs with registration requirements

The Park City Council on a 5-2 roll-call vote approved an ordinance authorizing golf carts on city streets with speed limits of 25 miles per hour or lower and permitting worksite utility vehicles and utility terrain vehicles on all city streets.

The measure requires operators to hold a valid driver’s license, mandates city registration for the vehicles and requires lighting for operation outside sunrise-to-sunset hours. "This ordinance authorizes the operation of golf carts on city streets where the speed limit is 25 miles per hour or lower and the operation of worksite utility vehicles and utility terrain vehicles on all city streets," a staff presenter said when explaining the proposal.

The ordinance drew questions about enforcement, safety and how restricted or suspended licenses would apply. Councilmembers clarified that a valid license for these rules means a current license from any state and that operators must follow any restrictions written on that license. When asked whether police could impound repeat offenders, the police chief said the department could tow vehicles that "could not be legally parked" but otherwise had no additional automatic impound authority under the draft ordinance.

Public comment focused mostly on safety. George Glover, a resident, urged caution, saying the concern is not those who follow rules but "that one person who doesn't follow the rules, who gets in a bad accident, who kills somebody in Park City." Jeff Stone, a resident who signed up to speak, said in reference to golf carts: "There's absolutely no protection on the side of that golf cart," and urged the council to look again at safety distinctions between cart types.

Councilmembers cited both safety and desire to regulate existing behavior. "By passing this thing, it can legalize what they're doing and give us some sort of control over it," Councilmember Charles Schwenke said during debate.

Councilmember Jim Schroeder moved to approve ordinance 12 11-20 25, an ordinance amending sections 14-2-37 through 14-2-40 of the Park City code pertaining to special-purpose vehicles and repealing certain standard traffic ordinance sections; Councilmember Linda Westhoffer seconded. The roll call was: Jim Schroeder, aye; Linda Westhoffer, aye; Charles Schwenke, aye; Terry Osborne, aye; Troy Hill, nay; George Glover, nay; Charlie Davidson, aye. The motion passed 5-2.

The city attorney said he had directed staff not to publish the ordinance immediately and that it will be published next Thursday and become effective the following Thursday. The police chief told the council the department will need time to prepare decals and registration forms and said the city will post registration instructions on its website and Facebook when ready.

Council members said they expect to monitor enforcement and public behavior now that the activity is regulated. The council did not adopt additional impound provisions in the ordinance; the police chief reiterated existing towing authority applies when vehicles are not legally parked.

The ordinance text and exact effective date will be published by city staff. Residents who operate or own such vehicles were told to await the city's web notice for registration details.