Michelle Bachtel was before the Marshall County Commissioners on Monday morning to ask that the speed limit be omitted from the golf cart ordinance.
She made this request as she drives her golf cart on county roads to access her farm ground on the north side and the south side of U.S. 30 in the Inwood community. She was stopped by a Marshall County deputy who informed her that she could not operate the golf cart on the road. Bachtel explained to the commissioners that the ordinance allows the operation of golf carts on roads that have a posted speed limit of 35 mph or less and the road she utilized that day had a posted speed of 30 mph.
The ordinance also allows a golf cart to cross a highway at a right angle to get to another road that has a posted speed limit of 35 mph or less.
Bachtel said the access road by her home has a speed limit of more than 35 mph and she requested that the speed limit provision in the ordinance be lifted so she and her husband can get from their house to all of the farm ground without having any issues. She added that it would be beneficial for any other resident that experiences the same problem.
One problem the commissioners saw with lifting the speed limit was the authorization of golf carts on more busy county roads that have a speed limit of 55 mph or more. The commissioners noted that the reason why that provision was included was to keep golf carts off roads like Lincoln Highway, 13th Road off of State Road 17 that has no shoulders, North Michigan Street and South Michigan Street for safety purposes. It was suggested that the highway department put a restriction on those particular roads.
No decisions were made by the commissioners. County Attorney Jim Clevenger will do some more research and bring back suggestions at the next meeting on Monday, Nov. 20.
