DeBary residents, council press for stricter golf-cart enforcement after sidewalk near-misses

Norm Erickson told the City of DeBary council that his wife and daughter were run off a sidewalk by a golf cart in September and described two additional incidents in early December, including a cart that passed within inches of him and his wife on Shell Avenue. "No golf carts on the sidewalk," Erickson said, urging more immediate enforcement and community discussion.

Council members responded that the city's permit rules require operators to follow traffic regulations and that neighborhood low-speed vehicles are limited to under 20 mph. A council member said enforcement is "probably the best resolution" and asked City Manager Rosamunda to prepare a plan to address the problem.

Council member Stevenson raised the idea of a mandatory training for people obtaining golf-cart permits, suggesting that an in-person class or online reinforcement of rules and route maps could reduce unsafe operation. "People are just getting golf carts and getting these permits, and they just read through it or maybe skim through it," Stevenson said, arguing that education could support long-term compliance.

Vice Mayor Butland agreed enforcement is needed but said she was reluctant to devote extensive staff time to running training classes and suggested the topic could be handled in a future workshop.

The discussion did not include a formal motion or change to the permit code; council asked staff to follow up. City Manager Rosamunda did not announce a specific enforcement schedule during the meeting. The council’s consideration of permit training and enforcement steps is expected to continue as staff prepares options.