Raymore council weighs new rules, outreach and stepped-up enforcement for e‑vehicles and golf carts

Raymore City staff told the City Council at a Dec. 1 work session that complaints about electric scooters and non‑pedal electric vehicles have increased and that the city must balance safety with mobility as many of the devices are bought as holiday gifts.

"If you do not have a valid Missouri driver's license, you cannot drive these e‑vehicles on the streets," said Mister Fairborn, the staff presenter, citing a Missouri Highway Patrol printout and saying the statutory ban on unlicensed drivers is the baseline for local policy. He asked whether the council wanted a draft ordinance to allow restricted use on sidewalks and roadside trails or to keep limits in place.

Police Chief (name withheld in the transcript) told the council officers saw a spike in calls mainly in the Creekmore area during late summer and early fall and described the department's approach: voluntary contacts with riders, conversations with parents, and escalating repeat cases to juvenile referrals. "We had 63 contacts that were self-initiated by officers, 39 calls for service, and we sent juvenile referrals and issued two citations," the chief said, summarizing recent enforcement activity.

Council members raised safety and practicality concerns. Miss Burke said some residents use sidewalks to reach work and cautioned against a blanket sidewalk ban. "A lot of other municipalities are worried about erosion of our trail," she said, adding that accessibility needs for some riders must be weighed against trail damage. Council member Baker recounted near-misses at a concert where quiet scooters moved through crowds at dusk and urged caution.

Members discussed possible local rules if the council allows devices on sidewalks: helmet requirements, one rider per device, age limits and speed restrictions. "Missouri helmet law applies to riders 26 and younger," Mister Barber said, and recommended that any local policy include passenger limits; the chief said the city would need to check state statutes to determine what it could mandate locally.

Staff emphasized outreach as the first step. The police and staff plan a spring public-information push in the Raymore Review and on social media, school‑based or classroom outreach where possible, and targeted enforcement after voluntary measures. "The first thing will be voluntary compliance," the chief said, adding that repeat unsafe behavior would trigger juvenile referrals or citations.

The council also discussed golf-cart safety. Staff listed the three most common problems: underage drivers, overloaded carts and children who should be in car seats being carried in carts. "Last year we had four serious golf‑cart injuries," Mister Fairborn said, noting two incidents tied to Creekmore where alcohol was involved and two victims required transport.

Staff requested direction and said it would return with a sample ordinance and policy elements for council review. Council members suggested reviewing Lee's Summit as an example of an ordinance with more detail.

The council did not adopt any ordinance at the meeting; staff said it would draft sample language and run an informational campaign before proposing formal code changes.

The council then moved to other business.