Montreat council approves limited golf‑cart use for conference and votes to join regional housing consortium; budget amendments introduced

At its April 14 meeting the Montreat Board of Commissioners approved an ordinance authorizing limited golf‑cart use during the annual Worship and Music conference (PAM) after staff said the pilot last year presented no public‑safety issues and police managed traffic.

Town manager Savannah (speaker 5) said the town and police had no objections and noted the event schedule means carts would not be used after the conference ends on May 3. The council voted in favor of the golf‑cart measure without recorded roll‑call tally in the transcript; the mayor announced the motion carried.

The council also approved a resolution authorizing the town manager to execute and amend the joint cooperation agreement that would add the towns of Mars Hill and Marshall to the Asheville Regional Housing Consortium. Savannah described the action as a routine housekeeping measure to permit the two towns to join the consortium.

In new business staff presented two proposed budget amendments. Budget Amendment 13 would move funds from streets capital outlay to sanitation capital outlay to complete convenience‑center gate upgrades; staff said the change follows prior council direction to identify funds in the current fiscal year. The budget discussion began at the meeting’s end; the transcript ends while the amendments were being presented and does not record a final vote on the budget items.

What happens next: the council will record the golf‑cart ordinance and the housing‑consortium resolution per standard procedures; staff will bring additional details and (if requested) formal adoption language for the budget amendments at a future meeting.