Town attorney, police to research golf‑cart rules; council approves code review priorities

Town Attorney presented an update on a larger code revision project and asked council to confirm priorities. The legal department has already completed recent updates to the nuisance code and to junked motor‑vehicle rules earlier in 2025 and has created a public comment page for the broader code rewrite.

Three priorities for short‑term ordinance work 1) Post‑election rules of procedure and related administrative chapters (chapters 1 and 2) — the attorney recommended a periodic review after council elections to ensure internal procedures remain current. 2) Traffic‑control recodification — planning and engineering staff will help convert a scattered set of traffic control ordinances (speed limits, no‑parking, stop signs) into a consolidated map‑based format to improve transparency for staff and the public. 3) Golf‑cart/local low‑speed vehicle policy — council asked staff to research options. The attorney explained the legal distinction: state‑registered low‑speed vehicles (LSVs) that meet specific safety equipment standards are regulated by the state and are allowed on roads up to 35 mph, but simpler golf‑cart‑style vehicles (without turn signals, lights or other gear) can be regulated locally. Council asked the police department and the town attorney to prepare a concise recommendation that lays out three practical choices: do nothing; adopt a townwide ordinance with registration, equipment and time‑of‑day limits; or permit neighborhood‑based approaches. Interim Police Chief Adams said the department will gather safety and cost data and return with options and estimated enforcement/resource implications.

Why it matters Council members noted public interest in allowing safe, locally regulated golf‑cart operation in some neighborhoods while balancing safety on higher‑speed roads. The staff review will examine safety equipment, age and licensing limits, hours of operation and whether registration and a fee should cover enforcement costs.

Next steps Legal and police staff will prepare a work product for a council work session that lists options, likely costs to the town for registration/enforcement, and suggested regulatory language; the traffic‑control mapping work will proceed with planning and GIS staff and the rules‑of‑procedure review will be scheduled after the November election.