Libby City Council to take up golf cart proposal

A proposal to allow golf carts on certain streets is headed before Libby City Council.

The possible city code change remains under legal review and is subject to change, said City Councilor Peggy Williams. But the proposal has cleared city council’s ordinance subcommittee.

Under the current draft, golf carts would remain barred from U.S. Highway 2, state Highway 37 and Mineral Avenue, and could not be used on the road between sundown and sunup. Drivers must possess a valid license or low-speed license.

No more than two people would be allowed in a golf cart traveling on a city street at a given time.

Golf carts would be permitted to cross U.S. Highway 2 at two intersections: Louisiana and Idaho avenues. The vehicles could only cross Highway 37 at 3rd Street or on Lincoln Boulevard.

The carts must avoid areas where motorized traffic is banned, like sidewalks and multi-use pathways.

As for physical requirements, a golf cart must boast one or two headlamps, a tail lamp, two rear, red reflectors, stop lamps, horn and a mirror giving the driver a 200-foot view of the receding roadway.

All carts must be registered with the state motor vehicle division prior to hitting the road. A decal advertising the registration must be displayed on the cart at all times.

The vehicle’s owner must also secure liability insurance for the cart.

Violations of the proposed ordinance would be considered a misdemeanor and punishable by up to a $500 fine.

The idea for opening Libby’s roads to golf carts came from residents who sought to make it easier for those with disabilities to travel around town. It was first pitched to city councilors in March as a way to help a single individual get to and from work.

At council’s Sept. 21 meeting, Williams said the ordinance subcommittee had thoroughly reviewed the concept.

“I don’t think there is any more work the committee can do on it. It just needs to come to council,” she said.

While city councilors first agreed to consider the idea at the behest of one person, the ordinance was written to address anyone who might consider touring Libby by golf cart. Figuring out a way to make the ordinance equitable across the board proved a challenge, Williams said.

“That’s part of the conflict of trying to put it together, to meet all those needs,” Williams told her colleagues on city council.

It was not immediately clear when the full body would discuss the proposed ordinance.