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"If you want to get this law changed, contact your state legislator," said Fish.
Council member Gregg Roudebush brought the matter up, saying the town had been getting a lot of inquiries regarding the legality of golf carts.
Fish said there was nothing the town council could do to change the state law and the ordinance that was recently adopted provides guidelines for the use of golf carts in town in the event that the state law is changed.
The Worthington Police Department's monthly report included 15 traffic citations (12 of those were local ordinance citations), one traffic accident, eight batteries resulting in bodily injury, four attempted burglaries, three residential entries, seven incidents of criminal mischief, two of disorderly conduct, one protective order violation, one operating a vehicle while intoxicated and one leaving the scene of an accident.
The Worthington-Jefferson Township Volunteer Fire Department reported responding to seven fires, one of which was a structure fire outside of Worthington but in Jefferson Township. It also responded to six emergency medical runs.
The Worthington Park Board reported the test results of soil samples from the park property had returned with a positive outcome and they wanted to thank Farm Bureau for performing the tests at no charge.
Park Board President Delores Calvert announced the park's outside restrooms are now open 24-7. Concerns were voiced about the condition of the skateboard area and it was decided that bids for work to refurbish the Hinchman Shelterhouse will be accepted until the next regular monthly meeting.
Council President Hal Harp reported the town had not yet received any FEMA reimbursements for sewer claims yet then told the council about a farmer that had a loss in a field due to problems with one of the town's sewer system lift stations located in the field.
"He's estimated the loss at $1,500 and he doesn't want the town to have to pay for it but he said he like to have it if FEMA pays," said Harp.
The council unanimously voted to pay the $1,500 out of "riverboat money."
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I have e-mailed John Waterman and Bruce Borders. Mr. Waterman wrote me back personally and at first thought that the cities and towns could adopt ordinances to allow them. He then did some research of his own and e-mailed me back and said that maybe the state lawmakers could take it up in the upcoming long session.
One of Bruce Borders aids has e-mailed me a few times (Matt Long). He has been in contact an attorney for the Indiana Legislative Services Agency. Their attorney stated that golf carts were considered under the laws of slow moving vehicles and therefore are legal. That attorney also fowarded the newsletter that is sent to all state prosecutors that states they are slow moving vehicles.
So maybe the lawmakers, law enforcers and citizens will some day all get on the same page and get the whole golf cart issue resolved and clear up this gray area.
Aaron, Look at this link: http://129.79.26.55/orm/Docs/statepolice...
Also anyone have an insurance opinion about where carts are covered by your provider and where they are not?
Thats the gray area I'm talking about. Here "The Indiana Prosecutor" says it is a slow moving vehicle and is legal and the state police says it isn't. I also have a letter that was sent from the prosecutor in Daviess County (Bryon Overton) to all that county's law enforcement telling them all all that they are slow moving vehicles and are legal as long as the meet I.C. 9-21-9 which is on slow moving vehicles.
So again it would be good if all parties could be on the same page with their interpretation of what the law is.
I don't have a problem with the golf carts. I have more of a problem with those little knee high motorcycles. Those things are completely unsafe and can be driven right down the middle of the highway and no lights or nothing is required. There could be an easy fix to that if the state would do it. Do away with the 49cc non sense and require the drivers of them to also have a license with a motorcycle endorsement.
I have insurance on my golf cart. It's coverered for me to take it anywhere, public roadway, my own property, or someone else's. It will pay for anything -- If I would hit a car, person, someone's property, etc. It's covered if someone that was riding with me would happen to fall off and get hurt as well or even if it's just sitting in my yard and someone runs into it with their car. It's pretty much just like car insurance, and it's less than $30 a year.
My problem with the golf carts coincide with my biggest pet peeve: People who don't use turn signals.
Very few golf carts that I've seen have this feature, or at least nobody uses it.
If the carts were to have some of the features of a street legal automobile (and I know that some have some of these already), such as headlights, break lights, hazard lights, turn signals, and a horn, then I might be more apt to not run them over.
You know, golf carts are not always driven on the road. We have several different people driving golf carts through our yard to get to their destination. At first we didn't mind since it was older people just trying to get around, but then kids started doing the same thing. We're worried that if they wreck on our property, then we'd be somehow liable. Now-a-days, there is just no respect for the property or privacy of others.
Folks, in this day and age of high gas prices and the government wishing to conserve, it would seem that they would welcome the use of golf carts especially in small comunities such as Worthington, Bloomfield, Linton, etc, While I do not think they should be on our main highways, use on side streets or crossing main highways should be permitted. I think it is a great conservation method for the folks desiring to do so
To all of our local officials:
Think about being the pioneers to set up regulations in your towns to accept the use of golf carts with very specific restrictions and and having our local law enforments checking them out and providing the cart with a sticker that would be displayed on the windshield stating that all of the requirements are met. I totally agree that that the drivers need to be licensed drivers, insurance on the cart and passengers, all lights and necessary warning signs displayed and another thing would be to transport only the amount of riders that seats are for. Thanks!
Aaron, that is strange that Representative Borders aid would state that golf carts were legal when Representative Borders stated at council meetings in Jasonville and Farmersburg they were not.
Guess this would explain why there is so much confusion in the legislature pertaining to this issue.
Personally, I have nothing agains't golf carts only the liability issues surrounding them.
Just a couple of weeks ago in Vincennes, they started giving out tickets. These tickets cost around $150.00. If they tow your golf cart and impound it, that will cost even more. The Indiana State Police says a vehicle must be registered and plated to be on our roads. A golf cart cannot be plated. I own a golf cart but I will no longer use it until it is legal. Irreguardless of what a town ordinance allows, it does not overide any state law.
No need to spend time on the state law it will only be struck down by the federal ruling. I have spent time looking into this with my attorney because I considered buying a cart. This is what he found.
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/staticfiles/DOT....
Basically golf carts are not OK but the little electric cars are.
When you hear of a traffic law being changed because the state will lose highway funding this is the agency that does it. I doubt Indiana would be interested in losing $$ millions so we can drive golf carts.
One more thing.....I considered the amount of gas I could purchase for what I was going to spend on a golf cart, insurance, and upkeep to "save fuel." I don't own a golf cart.
The reply I got was not from Bruce Borders himself but one of his aids. But no matter... When his aid contacted an attorney with the Indiana Legislative Services Agency. You would think they would know...Since they actually write the laws that are passed in the general assembly.
So then that means California, Florida and Arkansas do not recieve any federal funding for their highways??? All three specifically allow golf carts.
Wait - "concern was voiced over the state of the skatepark area"
Does anyone recognize that the CHILDREN put their heart and soul into that tiny little square they have been alloted to skate in? Does anyone care that they lost it in the flood and are doing everything they can to fix it - including collecting aluminum cans and enlisting the help of us parents to donate time and money?
I believe these kids have proven to the town that they deserve a place to ride, they are willing to work for it and they show tremendous pride in it.
Why not help them? The animosity towards the "skaters" is beyond me . . . we had children coming from Lyons, Linton, Bloomfield, Spencer - all just to take a shot at the little skatepark we had until the flood.
You don't want the boarding in parking lots or the playground, they were content with their little square of the park and they took care of it...it's not their fault they lost it in the flood and they are working their butts off trying to fix it.
"voice concern" all you want - but back it up by helping them. It may not be important to you, but it means the world to them!
Then maybe the "CHILDREN" should clean up after them selves. That corner of the park looks like a pig sty.
Magpie - you better look around again. That corner of the park is not a pig sty at all. Yes, it looks rundown because the skatepark itself was underwater and they lost a lot of the grass in that area due to the flood; BUT there is not any trash laying around. I walk at the park almost everyday and I have seen the kids putting their trash where it belongs before they go home. Most of the kids are well behaved and respectful of the skatepark.
Maybe you should look around. The rest of the park looks pretty rundown too. We had a flood and the children had nothing to do with the cause or the effects of that. By next spring maybe things will be better with a bit of grass seed and some new materials. I hope the town and/or the park board will indeed step up and help these kids. Matching any money the kids make would be a great deal.
Darn kids, get off my lawn!
*grumble* *grumble*
My car gets 40 rods to the hogshead and that's the way I likes it.
I've gotta go watch Matlock!