ELLERBE — Town officials are considering updates to Ellerbe’s golf cart ordinance as the number of golf carts operating within town limits continues to increase.
“A meeting or two ago, the board expressed an interest in doing a golf cart ordinance,” said town attorney Timothy Snead. “A number of folks in town do operate golf carts within the town limits and it’s not been a problem really over the past, as I understand, there’s just more important questions that have arisen.”
Snead presented a draft revision at the June meeting to Section 15-180 of the town code during the council’s recent meeting and said the proposal is intended to address safety concerns while establishing a clearer process for registration, inspections and enforcement.
“A lot of what I have here are some thinking points, some of this came from me. A lot of it is based upon what’s already in our code and what we’ve discussed. There may be some things here that we want to discuss tonight…,” Snead continued. “It’s sort of a good time because our fiscal year, as you all know, operates on July 1 every year… this would be nice to come put into effect starting this fiscal year. There would be some preparation that our town will need to do in coordination with law enforcement.”
Snead added that he needs to have a conversation with the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office to see who the point person could be regarding golf cart registration and inspections.
“A lot of towns do have a police department in their town, and that makes it easier where you’ve got the chief of police or designee, but we don’t have that, so we want to have some cooperation with law enforcement who’s willing to do that, take on that role.”
Snead shared the forms he had prepared for Town Clerk Jane Smith and Billing Clerk Jamie English to use with golf cart registration and the application process. He also shared that reflective registration stickers would need to be created.
Council member Jimmy Bowles offered to inspect golf carts one day a month.
Mayor Lee Berry noted that the highway patrol has been stopping people operating golf carts and that he will speak with Sheriff Mark Gulledge and the highway patrol to get their thoughts.
“We’ll work hard on it this month. It wouldn’t be in effect until July 1st anyhow, and we’re having this to where y’all can make a vote on it in the next meeting, July 6,” said Berry.
The proposed ordinance remains under review, and council members could make changes before taking action.
Under the draft ordinance, golf cart operators would be required to be at least 16 years old and possess a valid driver’s license. The proposal states that “Only persons 16 years of age or older and holding a driver’s license may operate a golf cart on roads in the Town of Ellerbe.”
The proposed ordinance would also require golf cart owners to maintain liability insurance, register their carts annually and pass an inspection before receiving a permit sticker. Golf carts would be limited to roads with posted speed limits of 35 mph or less and would not be permitted to operate on Main Street/Business 220. Operators could still cross roads with speed limits greater than 35 mph using the most direct route.
“This is fairly consistent with those that I’ve seen from across the state. I didn’t make any drastic departures from the ordinance that we already have in our code. Our ordinance that we have in our code lacked quite a bit of what it needed. That was probably adopted over 10 years. I think this will bring us up to where we need to be.”
Snead noted that golf carts will need to be inspected and approved. According to the registration form, the carts and operating individuals must have:
• Driver’s license
• Proof of insurance
• Meets the definition of a golf cart as defined in Section 15-180 of the Town of Ellerbe Code
• Key operated
• Not modified to exceed 20 miles per hour
• Not modified in any way to create a hazard
• Brakes in proper working rrder
• Rear view mirror
• Non-manually operated horn
• 50 square inches of reflective tape or reflective triangle on rear
• Two Operating Headlights Visible from 500 feet
• Two (2) operating tail lights visible from 500 feet
• All basic equipment supplied by the manufacturer
The proposal would require inspections to be conducted by the Town of Ellerbe and/or the Richmond County Sheriff’s Department before a permit is issued. Under the draft ordinance, annual inspections and permits would cost $25, while a reinspection following a failed inspection would cost $10.
Permits and stickers would be issued annually and would remain valid from July 1 through June 30. The draft ordinance also states that golf cart owners would be required to complete a registration form, waiver of liability form and provide proof of liability insurance before a golf cart can be inspected.