Puttin’ Around: Golf Carts Go Legal?

WAITSBURG - Citizens of Waitsburg could get an opportunity to save on gas and enjoy certain new liber­ties if Mayor Walt Gobel has anything to say about it. Gobel has encouraged city councilors to take a look at an ordinance that would allow golf carts on streets inside Waitsburg city limits. The proposed ordinance will be discussed at the next city council meeting, on Aug. 18. "Well, it's a bit personal," Gobel said Monday. "My wife has one and we have, in the past, run it around town staying pretty much on the sidewalks."

But state legislators re­cently passed a law allow­ing Washington cities and counties to create "golf cart zones" around golf courses and permit incidental use of "golf carts" on public roads that have speed limits of 25 mph or less. Gobel hopes to jump on this new ruling and see more Waitsburgers buzzing about town in their little electric or gas-powered golf carts. "What a neat thing for Waitsburg," he said. "People will be able to conserve fuel, focus on cleaner energy and have fun."

But both Gobel and City Clerk Randy Hinchcliffe say nothing will happen "over­night." "We would have to post signs for motorists, which would take some time," Go­bel said. Detective Brad Ansorge, with the Walla Walla County Sheriff's Department, says allowing golf carts on city streets is a new one for him, but some quick research Tuesday didn't uncover any state laws that would prevent Waitsburg from creating such an ordinance. The operation of other types of off-highway ve­hicles would remain illegal, he said. Although the city passed a law in 1991 permit­ting licensed snowmobiles in town, other off-road vehicles such as quads, dirt bikes, and riding lawnmowers are not allowed on city streets, ac­cording to Ansorge. "We're not going to do anything with ORVs at this time," Hinchcliffe said Tues­day. "We're going to wait and see what happens over in Dayton." Dayton city councilors have proposed a controver­sial ordinance that would allow some ORV access to its city streets. This ordinance is still under discussion.