ORDINANCE NO. 1784

AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE OPERATION OF GOLF CARTS ON THE STREETS WITHIN THE CORPORATE LIMITS OF THE CITY OF GOODLAND; PROVIDING FOR RELATED MATTERS, INCLUDING PENALTIES FOR VIOLATION THEREOF; AND, PROVIDING FOR THE REPEAL OF ALL CONFLICTING ORDINANCES AND CODE PROVISIONS.

Be it ordained by the Governing Body of Goodland, Kansas:

Section 1. DEFINITIONS.

As used in this ordinance, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings respectively ascribed to them in this section, except when the context requires otherwise.

(a) “City” shall mean the City of Goodland, Kansas.

(b) “Golf cart” means a motor vehicle that has not less than three wheels in contact with the ground, an unladen weight of not more than 1,800 pounds, is designed to be operated at not more than 25 miles per hour, and is designed to carry not more than four persons, including the driver.         

(c) “Corporate City Limits” as it pertains to this ordinance and as used herein shall be defined as the area East and West between Cattle Trail Avenue and Eustis Avenue, and North and South between 18th Street (North of the railroad tracks) and Armory Road.

Section 2.  – OPERATION OF SPECIAL PURPOSE VEHICLES ON CITY STREETS; SPECIAL CONDITIONS AND RESTRICTIONS ON OPERATION.

(1) Golf carts may be operated on the public highways, streets, roads, and alleys within the corporate limits of the City, subject to the provisions of this Ordinance.

(a) No golf cart may be operated upon any public highway, street, road, or alley with a posted speed limit in excess of 30 miles per hour.

(b) Every person operating a Golf Cart on the public highways, streets, roads, and alleys of the City shall be subject to all of the duties applicable to a driver of a vehicle imposed by law.

(c) No golf cart shall be operated on any sidewalk.

(d) All Golf Carts shall be operated as reasonably far right on the roadway as possible, and operators shall, when reasonable, leave the driving lane free for passing traffic.

(e) No Golf Carts shall be operated on any public street, road, or alley unless such Golf Cart complies with the equipment requirements under K.S.A. ch. 8, art. 17, and amendments thereto.

(f) No golf cart shall be operated on any public highway, street, road, or alley between sunset and sunrise.

(g) No Golf Cart shall be operated within the boundaries of any cemetery unless the golf cart is being used by the City of Goodland and/or the Cemetery caretaker in the performance of their official duties.

(h) Golf carts with “Rear facing seat(s)” shall be prohibited from use by any passenger(s) regardless of whether it is equipped with seat belts. The maximum number of occupants in a Golf Cart shall not be more than four (4) and shall otherwise be limited to the number of persons for whom individual seating is installed and provided on the Golf Cart, with the exception of rear-facing seats. The operator and all occupants shall be seated in the Golf Cart and no part of the body of the operator shall extend outside the perimeter of the Golf Cart while in motion.  

(i) Nothing contained in this section shall confer upon any operator of a Golf Cart the right to drive said Golf Cart on private property without first obtaining the permission of the property owner.

Section 3.  SAME: VALID DRIVER’S LICENSE REQUIRED; PENALTY; DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES.

No person shall operate a Golf Cart on any public street, road, or alley within the corporate limits of the city unless such person has a valid driver’s license and is at least 18 years of age. Violation of this section shall be governed by Article 19 of the Standard Traffic Ordinance as adopted by the City of Goodland.

Section 4. SAME; INSURANCE REQUIRED; PENALTY.

(a) Every owner of a special purpose vehicle shall provide liability coverage in accordance with Section 200 of the Standard Traffic Ordinance, and amendments thereto, and the Kansas Automobile Injury Reparations Act, K.S.A. 40-3101, et seq., and amendments thereto.

(b) All provisions of Section 200 of the Standard Traffic Ordinance, and amendments thereto, including penalty provisions, shall apply to all owners and operators of Golf Carts.

Section 5. SAME; REGISTRATION AND LICENSE; FEE; APPLICATION; PENALTY.

 (a)Before operating a special purpose vehicle on any public street, road, or alley within the corporate limits of the city, and each calendar year thereafter, the vehicle shall be registered with the Goodland Police Department and a license/decal shall be obtained and placed on the rear of the vehicle, on the driver’s side, clearly visible from the rear of the vehicle.

(b)The application shall be made upon forms provided by the city and each application shall contain the name of the owner, the owner’s residence address, or bona fide place of business, a brief description of the special purpose vehicle to be registered (including make, model and serial number, if applicable).

(c)Proof of insurance, as required in section 4, shall be furnished at the time of application for registration. The annual registration fee for a special purpose vehicle shall be $25.00 and due by the third Tuesday of January of each calendar year. The full amount of the license fee shall be required regardless of the time of year that the application is made. The license issued hereunder is not transferrable.

(d) It is unlawful for any person to willfully or maliciously remove, destroy, mutilate, or alter such license during the time in which the same is operative.

(e) The license issued hereunder is not transferrable. In the event of the sale or other transfer of ownership of any vehicle license under the provisions of this section, the existing license and the right to use the numbered license shall expire, and the license shall be removed by the owner. It is unlawful for any person other than the person to whom the license was originally issued to have the same in his possession.

(f) In the event a license is lost or destroyed, the Goodland Police Department, upon proper showing by the licensee and the payment of a fee of $25.00 shall issue a new license in accordance with the provisions of this section.

(g) It shall be unlawful for any person to:

(1) Operate, or for the owner thereof knowingly to permit the operation, upon a public street, road, highway, or alley within the corporate limits of the City any special purpose vehicle which is not registered and which does not have attached thereto and displayed thereon the license assigned thereto by the City for the current registration year.

(2) Display, cause, or permit to be displayed, or to have in possession, any registration receipt, registration license, or registration decal knowing the same to be fictitious or to have been canceled, revoked, suspended, or altered. A violation of this subsection (2) shall constitute an unclassified misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than $1,000.00 and forfeiture of the item. A mandatory court appearance shall be required of any person violating this subsection.

(3) Lend to or knowingly permit the use by one not entitled thereto any registration receipt, registration license plate, or registration decal issued to the person so lending or permitting the use thereof.

(4) Remove, conceal, alter, mark, or deface the license number plate, plates or decals, or any other mark of identification upon any special purpose vehicle. Licenses shall be kept clean and placed as required by law to be visible and legible.

(5) Carry or display a registered number plate or plates or registration decal upon any special purpose vehicle not lawfully issued for such vehicle.

(h) Any person convicted of a violation of this Section, shall for the first conviction thereof be punished by a fine of not more than $200.00; for a second such conviction within one year thereafter, such person shall be punished by a fine of not more than $500.00; upon a third or subsequent conviction within one year after the first conviction, such person shall be punished by a fine of not more than $1,000.00.

Section 6. PENALTY.

A violation of any provisions in Sections 2, 3, 4, or 5 shall be deemed an ordinance traffic infraction. Upon an entry of a plea of guilty or no contest or upon being convicted of such violation, the penalty imposed shall be in accordance with Section 201, 2024 Standard Traffic Ordinance, and amendments thereto, or such other similar provision as the City may then have in effect.

Section 7. REPEALER.

All Ordinances and City Code provisions of the City of Goodland, Kansas, in conflict herewith, are hereby repealed.

Section 8. PUBLICATION; EFFECTIVE DATE.

This Ordinance shall be published one time in the Goodland Star Newspaper, the official newspaper of the City of Goodland, and shall take effect and be in force from and after approval by the governing body on this 7th day of October, 2024.

                                    ____________________________________

                                    J.J. Howard, Vice-Mayor

ATTEST:

_______________________________

Mary P. Volk, City Clerk

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