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Carver staff outlines permit model as council weighs allowing golf carts on city streets
Summary
City staff reviewed definitions, insurance requirements and peer-city practices as Carver council debated allowing motorized golf carts on city streets under a permit system limited to lower-speed roads.
City staff presented a technical framework for potentially allowing motorized golf carts to operate on city streets under a permitting ordinance, and councilmembers signaled support for a limited, safety-focused approach.
A staff presenter explained the vehicle definitions that matter for ordinance drafting and cited state insurance requirements: "It should say Minnesota section 65 b dot 48 subdivision 5," and staff summarized minimum coverages as "30,000, $60,000 protection for bodily injury and $10,000 for property damage" and described a permit structure the city has used for UTVs — an $80 fee covering three years and a sticker evidencing authorization. The same staff member reported the city currently has about 65 UTVs registered (45 initial registrations and 19 renewals).
The city attorney told the council state law allows municipalities to authorize special vehicles on roadways "that are either designated by the council" but emphasized any authorization applies only to streets under city jurisdiction and does not reach county or state highways. Councilmembers responded by balancing safety with local access: one councilmember argued "a golf cart is at least a safe vehicle on a city street as a UTV" and urged allowing them on lower-speed streets with lighting requirements for night operation. Others noted a past serious accident involving a former mayor that had shaped earlier hesitation but did not insist it should preclude a permitting program going forward.
Council discussion covered several specifics that staff will include in draft ordinance options: age minimums and slow-moving-vehicle emblems, proof of insurance, required rearview mirrors and lighting for night operation, whether to require retrofit turn signals, and whether operation should be limited to streets posted 30 mph or less. The attorney and staff recommended the council designate which streets could be used and run draft language by the sheriff's office for enforcement feasibility. The council directed staff to prepare ordinance options for future debate rather than adopt policy immediately.
