The Monticello City Council on Nov. 24 approved an amendment to the city speed-limit schedule that reduces the maximum speed on the identified corridor to 35 mph, a move council members said is intended to address documented safety concerns.

Residents who spoke during the public-comment period told the council the decision has already had real-world consequences. "My husband and I both sent emails to everyone on the city council… I'm here to speak on the change to the potential slow moving vehicle ordinance," Melissa Nichols said, describing a purchase of a UTV made after she and her husband were told registration and travel into town were allowed. "My son loves it… We decided to make that purchase on we brought it home on October 30," she said.

Why it matters: Dozens of households in the Apple Tree subdivision and nearby neighborhoods have registered low-speed vehicles since the city sign changes earlier this fall, several residents said. Council members and staff acknowledged miscommunication about the timing and implications of speed-limit changes and said they will be more careful in the future.

City staff and the police chief framed the change as a response to safety data for the corridor, not specifically as a golf-cart policy. Police Chief Ross cited state law (as read into the record) that allows a local authority to set speed limits "on the basis of an engineering or traffic investigation" but does not require an engineering study to set a new limit. The chief also reported that, in the sections reviewed, the department’s records contained no crashes involving low-speed vehicles but did show nine accidents involving regular vehicles on the stretch with three injuries.

Several council members and residents said they wanted a formal traffic study and better public notice before changes were implemented. "It seems as though there was no thought process that went into this decision that's being made right now," resident Zach Craven said, calling the reversal "cruel" for families who purchased vehicles in good faith. Aldermen and staff acknowledged the procedural gap: one council member said the city should not have moved signs or taken actions without a clear council vote on low-speed-vehicle access.

Council action and aftermath: The ordinance to lower the speed limit to 35 mph passed in a roll-call vote. Council later considered a separate ordinance (2025-74) that would have prohibited non-highway and low-speed vehicles on Bridal Street; that motion was subject to counting confusion and was ultimately declared failed, after which staff clarified that golf carts remain allowed on Bridal/Bridge Street under current law. The presiding officer and several council members apologized for the confusion and for financial consequences residents said they suffered after interpreting earlier communications as permission to operate their vehicles in town.

What’s next: Council members said they may seek more formal traffic analysis if complaints or incidents increase, and the police chief said the department would monitor the corridor and report back. The council did not adopt an outright ban on low-speed vehicles at tonight’s meeting, and staff will work to clarify communications about vehicle registration and permitted travel routes.