CAROLINA BEACH — Carolina Beach made an unusual change to procedure during the Tuesday evening’s Town Council workshop session by agreeing to allow the public to speak – something typically reserved for regular scheduled meetings, not workshops.
The meeting was held to discuss the issue of updating and amending golf cart regulations within the town limits – currently there are limited laws with unsure definitions.
The topic has been an item of contention for several months, and has given way to several suggestions for potential solutions to an ever-growing golf cart population, including the complete ban of all golf carts in the town by 2020.
Carolina Beach residents attended the workshop Tuesday night where the council heard from both the Chief of Police and a member of the North Carolina Department of Transportation. With the large turnout, Mayor Dan Wilcox opened the meeting to public comment, stating he would allow a chance for residents to voice their opinions and concerns regarding golf cart regulations.
Several residents spoke, however, every one of them spoke against the proposed regulations, which would ultimately require golf cart owners to convert their cart into “low speed vehicles.” They asked the town leaders to compromise.
Resident Keith Bloemendaal said, “The direction it appears we are headed in will add an unnecessary regulation and burden on our tax payers and voters … I understand safety issues are present and we need to address them to keep our community safe.”
Bloemendaal went on to explain how much it could potentially cost to make the changes necessary to take a regular golf cart and make it a slow moving vehicle, saying it could cost upwards of $2,500.
Other residents shared Bloemendaal’s sentiments and agreed that the town requiring things like seat belts, headlights and brake lights would increase safety, but said requiring VIN numbers would do little besides burden cart owners.
Initial response from Town Council members and the Mayor were supportive of a compromise which would require safety equipment, and encourage more enforcement of the current laws, but not require all carts to become slow moving vehicles.
Wilcox explained that he was the only member on council that was also on when the town first decided to approve golf carts on the streets, and still thinks that these carts have a place in the town.
“We adopted golf carts to fit the relaxed lifestyle we have here at the beach,” Wilcox said.
Town Council also suggested placing a list of rules and regulations in every golf cart in Carolina Beach, and making sure police were able to enforce the requirements.
No vote was taken during the meeting and the topic is expected to come before the Town Council again.
Michael Praats can be contacted via email at Michael.p@localvoicemedia.com.
