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The Oskaloosa City Council’s Public Safety Committee revisited the golf cart issue on Tuesday evening, debating whether they should be allowed on the course and whether the current ordinance regarding the trail should be more thorough.
The current ordinance allows walking, jogging, running, bicycling, skate boarding, roller blading, in-line skating and cross-country skiing on the trail. Motorized and non-motorized devices for use by people with disabilities are allowed, but golf carts are generally not allowed. The exception is that the police chief can issue one-time-use special permits. Other vehicles, including go carts, mopeds, snowmobiles, lawn mowers and all-terrain vehicles, and animals, including horses, mules and dog sledding also are not allowed on the trail.
Council Member Aaron Ver Steeg, who had been a vocal supporter for banning the golf carts, was the one who had requested the issue be discussed. He suggested modeling a new ordinance after what is done in Peach Tree, Ga., with an annual registration fee of $25 to allow golf cart use on the trail.
Ver Steeg said the council made a big mistake two years ago by not allowing golf carts. He said the current ordinance discriminates against people who have difficulty walking.
Council Member Lori Smith, who said she is also in favor of golf carts being allowed on the trail, was concerned about revisiting the issue with the Mahaska Community Recreation Foundation before the committee had time to come to a consensus.
One issue the committee discussed is whether or not easements on parts of the trail do not allow golf carts. Another issue that was brought up was whether golf carts can be allowed to use the underpasses with Highways 92 and 63.
MCRF President Joe Crookham said the Iowa Department of Transportation will talk about the underpasses. He said it is important to encourage as many recreational purposes as possible for the trail.
He also said there needs to be a more detailed plan for the trail that addresses issues that are left out of the current ordinance. The current ordinance does not address times of use, how to monitor the trail and other issues.
Council Member Janet VanDerBeek, the committee’s chairwoman, said she wanted copies of all easements within the city limits and a letter or statement from the IDOT explaining whether golf carts can be used at the underpasses.
Crookham said the city should decide how it wants the recreation trail to be used first, then take those plans to the relevant agencies. He also said the city was approached with questions on how the trail would be governed in 1999 and still has not answered that question.
Crookham suggested finding communities with trails that work and adjust their models to fit Oskaloosa. Crookham also asked for more support from the City Council on the recreation trail project.
One broader issue City Manager Brian James mentioned was how the recreation trail will connect with the city’s sidewalks and plans for future sidewalks.
James said he would look into VanDerBeek’s questions and also look into setting up new meetings between the City Council and MCRF. Crookham said he is open to more meetings. The last round of meetings ended in 2007.
The recreation trail is more than 12 miles long and is planned to loop around Oskaloosa and University Park. Construction has been funded through donations, the hotel/motel tax, city and county contributions and grants, including Vision Iowa, according to the MCRF Web site.
Police Chief John “Jake” McGee said there have been more than 100 calls to the law center related to the recreation trail since 2000. Of those calls, six involved golf carts: one this year for someone driving recklessly, three in 2007 for carts on the trail, one in 2005 where a girl was injured and one in 2004 for someone driving recklessly.
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Source: http://www.oskaloosaherald.com/local/local_story_184101522.html
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