The possibility of allowing golf carts to be driven on city streets was again debated during Tuesday's meeting of the Wayne City Council.
City Attorney Amy Miller explained the language in an ordinance that had been drafted which would have allowed golf carts to be driven to the golf course on certain streets.
Miller told the council that currently state statute does not allow golf carts to be driven anywhere in the city. The city could create an ordinance that would be more restrictive than the state statute, but not less restrictive.
Council member Matt Eischied said since the ordinance first came before council several weeks ago, he "hadn't found anyone who wants to drive a golf cart on the streets."
He went on to say, "there are no safety features on golf carts. Safety is more important than convenience."
Discussion among the council was whether or not to allow the carts to be driven on streets that are relatively close to the golf course - namely, in the northeast portion of the city.
Council member Jennifer Sievers said "I don't think we should allow golf carts only in certain sections of the city. It should be all or nothing on where they are allowed."
After considerable debate on the issue, the ordinance died due to a lack of motion to move it forward.
Council members also spent a considerable amount of time discussing a sewer line involving three properties on Seventh Street.
Roger Protzman with JEO Consulting spoke to the council on the results of a survey he conducted on the area in regard to the slope of the land. He offered several options on where the sewer lines could be placed.
He said he felt the least costly solution would be to place the sewer line on the north side of the properties and install two separate service lines. He did say this would involve working with the adjacent property owner to the north.
Council member Matt Eischied said the "city has done what we said we would do - find a solution to the problem. Now it is up to the homeowners to fix the problem."
Following discussion, the council voted unanimously to find a contractor to do the work and assess the costs to the property owners.
In other action, the council approved a request to close westbound traffic on Third Street between Pearl and Lincoln Street for an Electronics Recycling Event on Saturday, Sept. 14.
The street would become two lanes of eastbound traffic from 8 to 10:30 a.m. to make for more efficient traffic flow for those taking part in the event.
Sandy Brown, with the Wayne Green Team, said this is the seventh time the city has taken part in such an event and approximately 52 tons of electronics have been recycled.
Brown thanked the city staff and police department for their assistance with the event each year. She said First Choice Recycling from Sioux City, Iowa will be collecting the electronics this year.
Updates on the trail project and work at city parks was given to the council.
City Planner Joel Hansen told the council that the plans and specifications for Phase II of the trail are currently out and an Aug. 29 date has been set for bid letting.
He also told the council that FEMA officials have visited the area of the trail on the south end of Wayne that was damaged during this spring's flooding. They will make a determination on the extent of damage and the process the city needs to go through moving forward.
An update on recent work done at Roosevelt Park and Bressler Park was also given and information shared on plans for the future in these parks.
Resolution 2019-48 was approved, authorizing the signing of the Municipal Annual Certification of Program Compliance Form 2019. This involves the Nebraska Board of Public Roads classifications and standards and is designed to simplify the process and avoid duplication of information required.
The Wayne City Council will next meet in regular session on Tuesday, Sept. 3 at 5:30 p.m. in council chambers.
