Belleville City Council votes to have ordinance written for golf carts

Within the next few months the City of Belleville could be welcoming golf carts on city streets.
At Monday’s meeting of the city council, deputy administrator Tim McLean gave a report on golf carts and there was a long discussion before the council voted unanimously to approve McLean putting together an ordinance on golf cart use.
The ordinance would be for one year as a pilot program and then there would be a review of how things went.
Present at Monday’s meeting was Jeremiah Beebe of Church Street who brought the request to create a Golf-Cart-Friendly Community to the council in June. He had provided a detailed report on the state law on golf carts and the use of golf carts in other communities in the state, including sample ordinances from other towns.
The city had run the proposal by its attorney and then McLean prepared his report. McLean had worked in the City of Gibraltar where they have golf carts on the streets so he was familiar with the process.
City Manager/Police Chief Dave Robinson said they will have to check the carts to make sure there is insurance and they are safe. He said there will be escalating penalties from civil infractions to misdemeanors for not following the rules. He said the operator must have a driver’s license.
The golf carts will not be used on Main Street, because it is too busy, Chief Robinson said. They also cannot go on county roads, which includes Huron River Drive, Columbia, and Savage roads, or over the bridge, which is county-owned.
There was discussion on maps being given out and put online and possible apps for phones showing where carts are allowed and where they are not.
Victor DeLiberia of Van Buren Township asked by zoom if VBT gets golf cart regulation, too, could the city and the township work together?
Chief Robinson said they are totally different governments. He said Belleville wants to market the city as a lake-living community and it would be up to VBT residents to bring golf carts to the township board. He said golf carts cannot drive on Main Street or the bridge.
Fielder said all entrances to the city are on county roads.
In other business at the one-hour-and-20-minute meeting on Monday, the council:
• Approved plans for Winterfest, Dec. 2-5, sponsored by Belleville Area Chamber of Commerce. Pop-Up Shops in heated tent on Thursday; kids’ events on Fourth Street Place and Christmas event co-hosted by Bayou/Egan’s on Fourth Street square tent on Friday; parade, fireworks, Santa in tent, and band on Saturday; and pancake breakfast with Santa in tent, Christmas crafters market on Main and kids’ activities including an ice rink on Sunday. Any details will be worked out with the city administration. Chief Robinson said he doesn’t like the visual of people with alcoholic drinks when the kids are sitting on Santa’s lap in the tent on Saturday. Kole said they would look into getting Santa in the library instead;
• Approved dates for LakeFest as June 24-26. This is the same weekend as Van Buren Township’s fireworks, Kole said. Fire Chief Brian Loranger said he would like them to make sure the vendors are lined up on Main Street next year so there is space for his fire truck to get by;
• Approved the fire department’s collective bargaining agreement as presented. Chief Robinson said the financial implications were built into this year’s budget;
• Approved accounts payable of $167,882.95 and the following purchases in excess of $500: to Garrett Kissell, $1,500 for reimbursement for EMT classes from fire budget; to Osborne Concrete, $917 for road repairs on Victorian Lane after underground repairs, from DPW budget; to R&R Fire Truck Repair, $4,807 for preventative maintenance and DOT inspections on three fire apparatus, from fire budget; and to West Shore Fire, $835 for functional test for air packs, from fire budget;
• Heard an attorney representing Fair Housing of Metropolitan Detroit introduce herself, saying the organization represents people who are discriminated against and it trains on issues of fair housing in Macomb, Oakland, and Wayne counties. She left information for the public;
• Heard Councilman Ken Voigt ask about Harbour Pointe street conditions and what the city is going to do about them. DPW Director Rick Rutherford said in 2015 they looked at repair and in 2017 residents opposed paying for it. They are looking at having Hennessey engineers do an update on what needs to be done. Councilman Voigt said they have been talking about this for six months. Mayor Conley said those streets are the worst in the city. She said Hennessey would have to give the city costs and costs of engineering and the city will have to pay for the engineering. “Our decision is how much we can put in for a shovel-ready project” for federal funds, she said. Chief Robinson said the infrastructure money the city is getting is $407,000 and that is for Covid relief, which means water, for sure, and roads. Conley said once the infrastructure bill is passed federally the city will know how much money is available;
• Heard Mike Renaud ask about repairs to the last little bit of Main Street roadway near the bridge. Councilman Ken Voigt said when the blue bridge was replaced County Executive Ed McNamara gave Main Street to the city and the city’s responsibility for the roadway might end at the bridge;
• Heard Councilman Tom Fielder remind the public that they need a charter revision commission to correct the flaws in the present charter. Those interested should give their names to the city manager. Councilman Voigt said the charter is 39 to 42 years old and he advised everyone to think of it as “a 40-year-old car that needs an oil change”;
• Heard Councilman Voigt say he’s really pleased at what the goats did in clearing the shore at Horizon Park. He said Randy Brown didn’t make a lot of money on the project and Brown just wanted to improve the community. “It’s wonderful to be able to see the lake from all along the park,” he said, adding the city should also open the canopy along W. Huron River Drive and High Street, the pump house on N. Liberty Street, the east side of the bridge, and the Welcome to Belleville sign. He said if the city keeps the trimming up, it won’t be expensive and they will maximize the city’s greatest asset, the lake. He also said the folks at Johnny’s on the Lake thanked the city for getting the goats. They reported their business was up 25% when the goats were there;
• Heard Rutherford explain that there is a sharp grade along High and W. Huron River Drive and part of erosion control is those plants. He said you can cut off the tops, but if they deal with the roots, they are liable to have High Street in the lake. “Give some thought to that,” he said;
• Heard Therese Antonelli ask about a left turn lane at the light next to the bridge. Chief Robinson said he has been asked about such a light about 3,000 times. Councilwoman Kelly Bates said she’s been asking for that for seven years. Fielder said the county’s traffic study showed there was not enough backup for the time required. Antonelli said that after the development is done that may change. Chief Robinson said he will call the county with a list of things for safety and if he asks for five things and he gets three or four that will be good;
• Heard Alvis Brigis of the Belleville Beat announce a 7 p.m. Sept. 30 meeting at the library, which will discuss anything related to the future of mobility and autonomous cars. He said the meetings of the Belleville Future Club, which are expected to be monthly, will be a way to network the nerds in town. After the meeting there will be cocktails at Egan’s, including “Edison’s Elixer”; and
• Heard Renaud ask if there was any issue when the city council met in the hybrid mode with some at home and didn’t have a quorum in person. Mayor Conley said she believes they complied with the law, but “It’s not the way we like to do business.” Fielder said permission for virtual meetings are until the end of the year, but you must be present for your vote to count until the first of January, if there are not other state rules by then. This was the council’s third hybrid meeting and everyone was present in person except Councilwoman Bates.