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Hudson council gives first reading to golf-cart ordinance; members seek clarity on mirrors, UTV distinction
Summary
The Hudson City Council gave a first reading to Ordinance 928 to create a separate golf-cart code, keeping a minimum driver age of 18 and listing a $30 registration in the draft. Council members asked staff to clarify new mirror requirements, carve out limited route exceptions, and move fees to a resolution for future flexibility.
The Hudson City Council gave the first reading April 13 to Ordinance 928, a new code to regulate golf carts separately from utility-terrain vehicles (UTVs).
The draft ordinance retains a minimum driving age of 18 and currently lists a $30 registration. Council members urged staff to remove hard-coded fees from the ordinance and instead set the registration amount by resolution to allow easier adjustments in future years.
Members pressed staff on technical distinctions between golf carts and UTVs and on a newly proposed requirement for rear-view mirrors. One council member noted the town’s existing UTV code and asked that the golf-cart ordinance avoid classifying golf carts as UTVs, which would trigger additional equipment requirements such as lights, mirrors and horns.
Council discussion also identified route and sidewalk exceptions that need clearer language. Members recommended allowing brief travel on restricted roadways where required to reach permitted sections (for example, a short connector to reach a street where golf carts may lawfully operate) and suggested enumerating those limited intersections or circumstances in the ordinance.
Staff said the police chief would review compliance issues and that additional examples and wording could be provided before the ordinance’s next reading. The item was advanced as a first reading; additional amendments and two more readings are required before final adoption.
