Crawford council adopts golf-cart ordinance, approves $50 annual permits

The Crawford City Council on Jan. 13 adopted Ordinance No. 701 to permit golf carts on city streets and approved a $50 annual permit fee to fund stickers, administration and signage.

Mayor April Grant presided over the meeting as Council Member Brian Frahm, Council Member Christopher Dean and Council Member Dianne Gaston debated crossing and trail-safety details before passing the ordinance on its third reading. Council Member Frahm, Dean and Gaston voted to adopt the ordinance.

The council also approved Resolution 2025-19, which sets the permit fee at $50 per permit year and requires a vehicle sticker that will expire on Dec. 31. Council agreed the fee will be used to offset program costs including stickers, administrative handling and signage.

Council discussion focused on where carts may cross the White River Trail and how to reduce pedestrian risk. Attorney Adam Edmund advised that stop signs at the trail crossing were appropriate for safety and liability reasons. Council Member Dean described a plan to use the existing trail between the ball fields so carts would approach the trail at a 90-degree angle; the council asked for bollards on the old rail bed to keep carts off the trail except at the designated crossing and requested additional signage at park entrances and the trail approach. The golf course or golf board will supply rock and dirt as needed to level the crossing; council authorized staff to work on placement and installation of signage and bollards.

The council unanimously approved a corrected golf-cart and low-speed-vehicle registration form to accompany the permit program. The registration form and permit process were approved by motion and will be implemented in concert with the new ordinance.

Next steps: city staff will finalize signage placement and the registration rollout, and the council will monitor compliance and safety once the program begins.