Split council passes less-restrictive golf cart ordinance

By Rosanne Fohn

Anvil Herald Reporter

After much discussion over several meetings, Hondo City Council Monday night approved a new ordinance allowing golf carts on the city’s streets. 

The new ordinance replaces state regulations that strictly limit golf carts’ use to motoring to and from golf courses within a defined distance. Soon, golf carts and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) will be able to travel throughout the city, but they will still face many requirements and restrictions.

Council member Porky Ytuarte made the motion, seconded by Rachel Ramirez. Dr. B.J. McCollum also voted for the new ordinance. Brett Williams and Makenna Lange voted against it.

Requirements

Only people with a state-issued driver’s license may operate the vehicles on city streets. The owners must have continuous insurance on the vehicle and must purchase a permit annually. The golf cart or ATV must have two headlights, two tail lights, side reflectors, a parking brake, rearview mirror, a slow-moving vehicle emblem and a license plate.

Other important notes are that drivers of these vehicles may not cross multi-lane federal, state or county highways except at a traffic light or a four-way stop. Children up to 6 years old must be in a child safety seat. 

Although approved Monday, the ordinance will not take effect until council approves staff’s recommendations on registration and enforcement procedures and updates the city’s fee schedule. Council then must publish information about the new ordinance to inform the public.

Council discussion

Council has been debating the golf cart/ATV issue for several months. Questions have arisen about personal freedom, the possibility of more serious injuries as golf carts become more widely used throughout the city, parental responsibility, additional work for the police department to issue licenses and enforce the new law, as well as the requirements for owning and driving the vehicles.

From the beginning, Ytuarte has stated that he is in favor of spelling out additional regulations, and that he was in favor of restricting children’s access to golf carts and other vehicles such as scooters. (Scooters, however, cannot be regulated in this ordinance.)

“It’s going to be the parents’ responsibility for not allowing minor children to drive golf carts and to use the seat belts that are provided. As far as the injuries to children,” he said, “not one of us up here can stop that from happening. What we’re trying to determine is, are we going to allow (people to drive golf carts and ATVs) legally through an ordinance?” 

Speaking in favor of golf carts, McCollum noted that they could function as alternative transportation for people who don’t own a car since Hondo doesn’t have taxi or bus service. He suggested restricting the use of golf carts during high-traffic times, such as from 8 to 9 a.m. and 3 to 4 p.m., to reduce the possibility of collisions; however, that suggestion was overruled.

Mayor John McAnelly said some people may intend to use golf carts to take children to and from school, and Williams noted that school employees may opt to travel to their jobs in a golf cart.

When the mayor asked Lange what her position on the ordinance was, she replied, “Oh, I’m against it. I’ve been against it the whole time.”

Williams, who originally had objected to going beyond state regulations, ultimately made a case against the new ordinance due to the safety issue. He said that by adopting the new ordinance, the city would be encouraging the use of golf carts and ATVs and thus would cause more to be on the road. 

“I just don’t think it’s a good idea. I think it’s going to be unsafe. Normal fender benders are going to turn into serious injuries,” Williams said. 

Along the same lines, Assistant Police Chief A.J. Garza spoke about two studies he had found online involving golf carts: One of them showed accidents went up after golf carts were allowed more widely on community streets.

Williams said that the future accidents may not be the fault of the golf cart driver. “It’s not just the parents’ decision or the kid’s decision (on driving safely). It’s somebody else’s decision to not be paying attention and run into a golf cart. There’s nothing you can do to prevent that but keeping (golf carts) off the road.” 

Williams added, “One more question: It says on here (in the council’s information packet) that staff’s recommendation is to approve this ordinance. Is that true? It doesn’t sound like either of you (City Manager John Naron and another unnamed staff member) are in favor of it.”

Naron said, “We need to change the wording on that. I did say at the last meeting that I am totally against this.” Agreeing with Ytuarte, Naron used the example of scooters to make his point. 

“It is the parents’ responsibility to require the kids to have the helmets and (safety equipment) on and go at a reasonable rate of speed. But kids are kids, and we know this because we were kids and doing bike ramps like we did back in the day, breaking (bones) and getting dragged across the pavement because we were doing dumb stuff. And I think that will happen here.”

Ramirez and Ytuarte said they had not seen an increase in the number of golf carts so far. 

“Can’t we revisit this?” said Ramirez, suggesting a review after the ordinance has been in effect for a while to see if modifications need to be made. 

Williams countered, “There’s just a few (golf carts and ATVs) out there now, but there’re going to be more. We’re encouraging more. I respect all three of your opinions on this and we can revisit this, but if revisiting this (is) because something awful happens, that’s going to be real painful.”