Mt. Carmel City Commissioners seem to be torn on whether or not to legalize golf carts and UTV’s on city streets.
At Monday’s City Council meeting, commissioners held a lengthy discussion into the pros and cons of legalizing the golf carts and UTV’s. Commissioner Tom Meeks said he is against the idea saying older golfers would not be able to afford making their carts street legal..a cost estimated at about $300. But Mayor Joe Judge said the state has put the city in a bind on the issue…
If commissioners don’t approve legalizing the golf carts and/or UTV’s, those that now drive carts on city streets around the golf course would be subject to being ticketed. Right now, police chief Ryan Turner said officers are taking a “blind eye” to the golf carts on streets, but that might not continue if commissioners choose not to legalize them. Turner said there have been no accidents or issues with the carts.
City Clerk Rudy Witsman stressed that any ordinance legalizing the golf carts and UTV’s would still prevent them from being driven on state highways which include Routes 1 and 15 in Mt. Carmel encompassing big parts of Cherry, Walnut, 3rd, and 9th Streets.