Golf carts are still not allowed on city streets in Shelbyville.

An ordinance that would change that policy was continued Monday at the Common Council meeting at City Hall.

The continuation was prompted by Shelbyville Police Chief Mark Weidner’s opposition to allowing street access for golf carts.

“I don’t think this is in the best interest of anyone to put these on the streets,” said Weidner (photo). “I want to go on the record and oppose it in the interest of public safety.”

Citing data that shows golf cart incidents have risen in Indiana from two in 2019 to 50 in 2022, which included 15 injuries and one fatality, Weidner asked, “We don’t have this problem, why create this for ourselves?”

The ordinance was formulated following a request from Major Health Partners (MHP) to use golf carts as transportation around the Intelliplex campus where it operates several buildings including a hospital.

The ordinance was discussed in detail during the January council meeting. Golf carts would not be allowed to travel more than 20 miles per hour and not be utilized on roads with a posted speed limit of 40 mph. Golf carts also must have working turn signals, head lamps, brake lights and seat belts.

Another sticking point for Weidner was golf carts passing police inspection.

“The inspection by the department, I don’t know what that means for anybody else,” said Weidner. “I think a lot of people that will argue that we don’t have the expertise for that. I don’t know what is safe and what is not.”

The ordinance was formulated based on a similar ordinance in Cicero, Indiana. With the ordinance discussion continued, the council agreed to collect more information from Cicero officials as to how the ordinance is enforced.

In other council business Monday:

• Approved a rezone request on first reading for 1501 S. Harrison St. (photo) from Single-Family Residential to Business General. Genesis Property Development has a purchase agreement for the property that has been used for commercial and retail purposes for more than two decades but was never rezoned to Business General. Tom Davis, representing Genesis, informed the council that the building will be renovated to become office space.
• Approved the appointment of Michelle Nolley to the county’s Economic Development Council.
• Heard an update from Melissa O’Connor about the Youth Assistance Program in Shelbyville. Started in March of 2016, the program works with troubled children – 128 actively – including offering tutoring and mentoring.

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