Chapter 9.41
GOLF CART ZONES
Sections:
9.41.010 Golf cart zones authorized.
9.41.025 Petition for establishment of a golf cart zone.
9.41.030 Fees—Expense of proceedings.
9.41.035 Designated golf cart zones.
9.41.040 Daylight operation—Penalty for violation.
9.41.060 Golf cart operation prohibited in designated bicycle lanes.
9.41.110 Dissolution of golf cart zones.
9.41.010 Golf cart zones authorized.
One or more golf cart zones may be created by the board of county commissioners, upon adoption of a resolution establishing such zone, for the purposes of permitting the incidental operation of golf carts upon the county roads in the unincorporated areas of Chelan County, having a speed limit of twenty-five miles per hour or less. (Res. 2016-74 (Appx. A (part)), 8/16/16).
9.41.020 Definitions.
(1) “Board” or “board of county commissioners” means the board of county commissioners for Chelan County, state of Washington.
(2) “County road” means a right-of-way over which the public has a legal right of passage, and over which an automobile can be driven, and is not designated as a state highway, and is outside the boundaries of a city or town.
(3) “Golf cart” means a gas-powered or electric-powered four-wheeled vehicle originally designed and manufactured for operation on a golf course for sporting purposes and has a speed attainable in one mile of not more than twenty miles per hour. A golf cart is not a nonhighway vehicle or off-road vehicle as defined in RCW 46.04.365.
(4) “Golf cart zone” means a geographically described area within which golf carts may be incidentally operated on designated county roads, provided such use is in compliance with this chapter and RCW 46.08.175.
(5) “Significant history” means five or more golf cart collisions or operator citations within three years; except, one serious injury accident involving a golf cart can, by itself, constitute a significant history. (Res. 2016-74 (Appx. A (part)), 8/16/16).
9.41.025 Petition for establishment of a golf cart zone.*
(1) Owners of the majority of the tax parcels within a proposed golf cart zone may petition the board of county commissioners to establish a golf cart zone. The petition must:
(A) Be signed by each petitioner;
(B) Designate a principal petitioner, who shall serve as the liaison and sole contact person with the county;
(C) Identify the tax parcel owned by each petitioner;
(D) Set forth the geographical description of the proposed golf cart zone; and
(E) Identify the county road(s), or portions thereof, on which operation of golf carts is sought to be authorized under this chapter.
(2) A petition to the board of county commissioners for establishment of a golf cart zone shall be submitted to the county public works department. (Res. 2016-74 (Appx. A (part)), 8/16/16).
* Code reviser’s note: Res. 2016-74 adds the provisions of this section as Section 9.41.020. The section has been editorially renumbered to prevent duplication of numbering.
9.41.030 Fees—Expense of proceedings.
(1) Each petition for creation of a golf cart zone shall be accompanied by a cash deposit of five hundred dollars for the application fee and other fees and costs associated with the application and creation of the golf cart zone. Checks shall be payable to “Chelan County.”
(2) The petitioners shall be responsible to pay all fees and costs, as required in this chapter, that are associated with application for, establishment of, and signage for the proposed golf cart zone. Nothing shall prevent the principal petitioner from obtaining funds from other owner petitioners to satisfy the fees and costs that might be associated with the petition for creation of a golf cart zone.
(3) Upon completion of the hearing or withdrawal of the petition, the board shall certify all costs and expenses incurred by the county in the proceedings to the county treasurer and, regardless of the final decision, the county shall recover all such costs and expenses to the county road fund. The treasurer shall reimburse the road fund for such costs and expenses from the cash deposit and release the balance, if any, to the petitioner.
(4) The golf cart zone, if approved, shall not be established until additional costs and expenses, if any, related to the application for, establishment of, and signage for the golf cart zone are paid in full. (Res. 2016-74 (Appx. A (part)), 8/16/16).
9.41.035 Designated golf cart zones.*
The following geographically described areas are designated as golf cart zones for incidental operation of golf carts on the county roads designated within those zones:
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Zone Number |
Road Name |
Road Number |
Road Location by Section, Township, Range |
Mile Posts |
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1 |
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2 |
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3 |
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4 |
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(Res. 2016-74 (Appx. A (part)), 8/16/16).
* Code reviser’s note: Res. 2016-74 adds the provisions of this section as Section 9.41.030. The section has been editorially renumbered to prevent duplication of numbering.
9.41.038 Golf cart operators.*
(1) Every person operating a golf cart as authorized under this chapter is subject to all duties applicable to the driver of a vehicle under Chapter 46.61 RCW and Title 9.
(2) Every person operating a golf cart as authorized under this chapter must be a licensed driver.
(3) A person who has a revoked license under RCW 46.20.285 may not operate a golf cart as authorized under this chapter. (Res. 2016-74 (Appx. A (part)), 8/16/16).
* Code reviser’s note: Res. 2016-74 adds the provisions of this section as Section 9.41.030. The section has been editorially renumbered to prevent duplication of numbering.
9.41.040 Daylight operation—Penalty for violation.
(1) No person shall operate a golf cart upon a county road in a golf cart zone at any time from a half hour after sunset to a half hour before sunrise.
(2) A person who violates this section commits a traffic infraction.
(3) The penalty for violation of this section shall be a fine of forty-two dollars. (Res. 2016-74 (Appx. A (part)), 8/16/16).
9.41.050 Decal required—Fee.
(1) A person may not operate a golf cart under the authorization of this chapter unless the golf cart has been issued a decal by the county sheriff and the decal is displayed on the identified golf cart authorized on the streets and highways of this state under this section.
(2) The fee for the golf cart decal shall be in the amount of fifty dollars and shall be valid for a period of one year from the date of issuance. (Res. 2016-74 (Appx. A (part)), 8/16/16).
9.41.060 Golf cart operation prohibited in designated bicycle lanes.
Operation of golf carts is prohibited in designated bicycle lanes that are within a golf cart zone. (Res. 2016-74 (Appx. A (part)), 8/16/16).
9.41.070 Safety equipment.
Golf carts must be equipped with reflectors, seat belts, and rearview mirrors in compliance with RCW 46.08.175(8) when operated upon county roads as authorized under this section. Safety equipment shall be maintained in good working order. (Res. 2016-74 (Appx. A (part)), 8/16/16).
9.41.080 Accident reporting.
Accidents that involve golf carts operated upon a county road as authorized under this section must be recorded and tracked in compliance with Chapter 46.52 RCW. The accident report must indicate that a golf cart operating within a golf cart zone is involved in the accident. (Res. 2016-74 (Appx. A (part)), 8/16/16).
9.41.090 Signs.
(1) The county engineer shall install signs at the beginning and end of the golf cart zone on a street or road that is part of the golf cart zone. Golf cart zone signage must be in compliance with the Department of Transportation’s Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways.
(2) The petitioners shall be responsible to pay the sign fee of one hundred dollars for each sign required to identify the golf cart zone. The sign fee must be paid in advance of installation of golf cart zone signs.
(3) No golf cart may be operated on a public road in any golf cart zone until signs identifying the golf cart zone have been installed in compliance with this chapter. (Res. 2016-74 (Appx. A (part)), 8/16/16).
9.41.110 Dissolution of golf cart zones.
Golf cart zones may be dissolved by the following methods:
(1) If the board of county commissioners determines that there is a significant history of golf cart collisions or citations for violations within a specific golf cart zone, the golf cart zone is dissolved.
(2) Property owners within a golf cart zone may request dissolution of the zone by submitting a petition signed by sixty percent of the owners of tax parcels within the golf cart zone. Upon confirmation by the county engineer of the sixty percent property owner signature requirement having been met, the board of county commissioners shall, within sixty days of such confirmation, determine whether or not to dissolve the golf cart zone by repealing the resolution establishing the golf cart zone. (Res. 2016-74 (Appx. A (part)), 8/16/16).