Council Hears Views On Golf Cart Proposals

By R. Daniel Cavazos

SPI City Council heard from the community during a workshop concerning proposals on regulating the use of golf carts on city streets.

The growing use of golf carts on South Padre Island’s roadways has the City Council considering new proposals to regulate the motorized vehicles with the focus on public safety.

The SPI City Council held a workshop meeting on Thursday to hear from the public and gather input on proposals that include an increase in annual registration golf cart fees. The Council is also considering the creation of commercial licenses for golf carts leased or rented by local businesses as well as new ways to enforce ordinances connected to the motorized vehicles.

Other issues under review include:

• How golf carts on the Island are to be inspected and how that will be done.
• Restricting golf carts to the right lane only on two-way streets except when immediately turning left.
• What insurance requirements are needed to gain a commercial license from the city.
• Requiring golf carts to have safety restraints and prohibiting open containers which include alcoholic beverages while operating the vehicles.

There are an estimated 1000 golf carts in use on the Island. About half of that total – 500 – are used for commercial purposes. Randy Smith, the city manager, said the Island’s original system to regulate and inspect golf carts needs to be updated due to the increased use of the motorized vehicles on city streets.

"We didn’t envision the popularity of golf carts at the time," Smith said. "We need to change the process."

Part of the process is how golf carts are inspected annually to ensure public safety. Those inspections are currently being done by the South Padre Island Police Department. Mayor Patrick McNulty and his fellow council members seemed to indicate that those annual inspections should be handled by an independent qualified inspector. The Council’s chief concern is the time police department staff is taking to inspect golf carts.

There are an estimated 1000 golf carts in use on South Padre Island, with 500 of them used for commercial purposes.

"I don’t believe it’s a good use of our resources," said Kerry Schwartz, a Council member. "We need to get it out of being a function of city government."

Increasing Revenues For Enforcement

The City Council is considering expanding the Marshal’s Division of local government to go beyond municipal court processes.

Its increased duties would focus on enforcement of golf cart violations along with short-term rental ordinance violations, and noise and parking violations. There is currently a chief marshal’s position. The Council is considering adding up to four part-time employees in the Marshal’s Division to help with enforcement of golf cart issues and the other matters listed.

The funds to pay for this added staff would largely come from:

• Increasing annual golf cart registration from $50 to $100, which would include an inspection.
• Creating a commercial license designation with a fee of up to $250 per golf cart.

Most of the comments during the two-hour workshop came from the owners of businesses that own golf carts that are rented out to customers for use on city streets. The business owners did not object to raising the annual fee from $50 to $100, but took exception to higher fees for commercial use golf carts.

Business owner Will Greenwood spoke during a Thursday City Council workshop to voice his opposition to a $250 fee for golf carts used for commercial purposes. 

"It’s over the top," said Gabriel Vanounou, the co-owner of SPI Golf Cart Rentals. "There should be one fee for all (golf carts). Let’s not create a whole new department with expenditures for something that really isn’t needed."

Vanounou and his business partner, Will Greenwood, told the Council that golf carts do not bring major problems for the city and alluded to other issues of greater need for ordinance enforcement. 

They pointed out their golf carts for commercial use go largely unused for six months of the year during the offseason of tourist activity. Other business owners who spoke referred to the property and sales taxes they already pay. Going from $50 to $250 for their commercial golf carts would place a great burden on their operations, they said.

"It’s very hard to rationalize that kind of fee for a commercial golf cart," Greenwood said of the increase. "I don’t think the city should be assessing extra fees for commercial (golf carts)."

Fee Increase Likely

McNulty, the mayor, did not indicate when the City Council will arrive at final proposals regarding the golf cart matters.

Comments made by Council members indicated an increase from the current $50 annual golf cart fee will likely be voted on by the city leaders, with a $100 fee the most likely scenario. Adding on a higher commercial license fee appears to be under active consideration. Council members want better enforcement of golf carts on city streets and the revenues to fund it will come from fee increases.

"We need constructive help on how to solve problems," McNulty said. "We’re trying to figure out a way to work together on this and make the Island a safer and better place to live and work."

Island businesses renting or leasing out golf carts could see an annual $250 fee per vehicle under a proposal before the City Council.

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Island Matters | P.O. Box 2778 | South Padre Island, TX 78597