At the first meeting of May, the Clinton City Council will consider an ordinance change for how late golf carts can be out on City streets.

The ordinance took effect late in the summer of 2020 and 2021 was the first full year of the ordinance. Commissioners felt limited issues through the first full year, trying to expand the ordinance to 9 pm or 10 pm was a worthwhile trial. 

At the advice of Clinton Police Chief Ben Lowers, a 9 pm curfew for the golf carts is not much past sunset on a mid-summer night and felt the Council could expand to 10 pm.

While up to this point in the life of the ordinance, there have been minimal issues, Chief Lowers is concerned about the later the ordinance goes, the more likely a golf cart operator encountering an impaired operator of a vehicle.

The Chief wondered if the most noise about the issue was coming from residents that did not have a golf cart or even those outside the community. 

The City Attorney will work to craft a change to the ordinance to expand the hours of golf carts in Clinton to 10 pm and the Council will take it up at its next meeting.