Minimum age for licenses & mandatory inspections discussed for golf carts; Relocating major water line will delay East Canal Rd. widening project ‘til fall of 2022

Minimum age for licenses & mandatory inspections discussed for golf carts; Relocating major water line will delay East Canal Rd. widening project ‘til fall of 2022
By John Mullen
In the state of Alabama, a 14-year-old can be licensed to drive a boat and motorcycle but the city of Orange Beach might require golf cart drivers to be 16 and have an automobile driver’s license.
At the Oct. 19 city council regular session, there was a first reading of a new golf cart ordinance Orange Beach officials hope to have fully implemented by this spring. But Councilman Jeff Boyd has some concerns about the age 16 requirement.
“If someone’s child has a driver’s license with motorcycle and boating on it at the age of 14 which is legal, I think it’s very difficult to tell that parent they can’t drive a golf cart but they can drive a 125-cc motorcycle,” Boyd said. “And I think that should be changed to 14 with a motorcycle endorsement on your license. I’m just putting myself in a position in my neighborhood with the dad coming to me and going this is nonsense and that’s not the word he’s going to use and having to argue that case.”
Also, Boyd said, a 12-year-old can drive a boat with an adult aboard and he’d like to see something similar in the Orange Beach ordinance.
“We start hitting tough ground when we start changing the rules on a golf cart versus the boat,” Boyd said. “To me with dad on the golf cart and he’s 12 I don’t have an issue with it but I think we’re pushing it. I think if we get the 14 with an endorsement, I’m at least satisfied with it.”
Police Chief Steve Brown had concerns similar to Boyd’s.
“I would agree with you because I have actually encountered that myself at Marina Road and 161 with someone that was licensed to operate a motorcycle and I started scratching my head,” Brown said. “If they can operate the motorcycle, why can’t they operate an electric golf cart?”
Other requirements, per state law, will be the golf carts must have lights, brake lights, blinkers and a windshield. Retrofitting to add those features will cost about $600-$800.
“We are enforcing the minimum required by state law,” Mayor Tony Kennon said. “We’re not asking for extras or anything more. I just hope people understand.”
The process will start with inspections of golf carts at neighborhood gathering spots and each will require a sticker as well as the added lights and accessories. Fee structures are still being worked out with the cost of the decals as well as an estimated 184 signs the city has to put in neighborhoods where golf carts are legal, also per state law. Other signs will be needed at entrances to the Backcountry Trail and other places where golf carts aren’t allowed.
One number bandied about is $25 a year but Kennon said he wanted the city to at least charge enough to pay the cost of having police personnel inspect the carts, the decals and the signs.
“I don’t know what the number is but I do think we need to recoup our costs,” Kennon said. “We need to estimate and calculate costs and then come up with a fair number and we’ll say guys this is our cost.”
The biggest expense, City Administrator Ken Grimes said will be paying for the signs.
“We think a sign is going to be between $12 and $15
and every one of these streets has to have a new sign that we will attach hopefully to the speed limit signs,” Grimes said. “So, that’s going to be a big chunk just some of that maintenance. So those are the costs that we’re talking about that we’ve thought of so far but I’m sure they’ll be other things that we’ll find beyond the administration of it. It really isn’t about the money but now we’ve got these costs that we have do because state law wants you to have that sign at every street.”
East Canal Rd. widening delayed
In other Council news, relocation of a major waterline and complicated paperwork surrounding Restore Act funding have delayed the widening of Canal Road east of Hwy. 161 until the fall of 2022 at the earliest. City officials had hoped to begin the project before the end of 2021.
While there was no action item on the project it came up for discussion in the joint regular/work session of the city council on Oct. 19. The waterline runs the length of the project and unless relocated it would be under the newly widened roadway.
Mayor Tony Kennon was more pointed on the efforts to get the waterline moved so the project can begin. Plans are to make Canal Road from State Route 161 on the west to Wilson Boulevard on the east three lanes with a center turn lane to relieve traffic back ups from cars turning in the GTs By the Bay, the library/senior center and Coastal Arts Center of Orange Beach as well as into neighborhoods along the roadway.
Between the library and the arts center a roundabout is planned to help get visitors back to Doc’s without clogging up traffic in that busy 161/Canal Road intersection.
“I’m about fed up,” Kennon said. “I really am at the point where if you’ve got to drag your own water authority along to get things done, enough’s enough. It shouldn’t be (complicated). It’s real simple. We need Canal Road widened, we need the Orange Beach Water Authority to get in gear and get it done. How simple is that? We’re ready to get it done. We’re tired of dragging it out and it should have already been done.”
Nicole Woerner was lauded for her work navigating the Restore Act process to hopefully get the $1.2 million grant into city coffers.
The city will pay for a multi-modal sidewalk included in the project from Doc’s to Wilson and it is included in the scope of work for the widening to save money by having one project design and one contractor handle it all.
Also during the meeting, City Administrator Ken Grimes also gave a report on the Oct. 9 Freedom Fest organized after the National Shrimp Festival was canceled on Sept. 9.
Grimes said a steady stream of visitors from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. made for a good crowd for this inaugural event. The city plans on making Freedom Fest an annual event on the same weekend as the Shrimp Festival.
“The Wharf sent us the traffic counters from the Freedom Fest,” Grimes said. “Between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. their traffic counters around the property using that plus their formula they use for all their concerts and events they estimate somewhere in the vicinity of 15,200 people were on property during Freedom Fest. It was a huge success, obviously we saw that.”
Kennon praised city staffer Jeanne Fitzgibbons for pulling together the festival in a month’s time.
“Thank you again Jeanne (Fitzgibbons) and all the city employees that made it happen,” Kennon said. “There’s a lot of people who stepped up as volunteers, vendors, it was a true team effort so thank y’all. Now we get to do Seafood Fest in February.”
During the regular session, the council:
• Approved a special events retail liquor license application by Event Concessions for the Kip Moore Concert on Nov. 13 at The Wharf’s Port venue.
• Awarded a bid to Finishing Solutions of $464,000 to complete roof repairs after damage from the April 10 hail storm. Johns and Kirksey submitted the only other bid and it was for $615,000.
• Approved a resolution awarding the bid for Backcountry Trail Post-Hurricane Sally Repairs to Asphalt Services, Inc., in an amount not to exceed $170,977.70.
• OK’d a resolution establishing rates for health and dental insurance for employees with slight increases in employee contributions. For example, starting in January of 2022, an employee with family coverage would pay an increase of $8.64 per month or $103.68 extra per year. City documents show the family plan will cost employees $224.64 per month with the city contributing $1,210.70 for a total of $1,435.34
• OK’d a resolution authorizing the purchase of stop loss insurance for the for FY2022. In 2020, the city had a stop loss threshold of $100,000 meaning the city would be reimbursed for any amount above $100,000 but the annual premium was $500,000. Raising the threshold to $200,000 dropped the premium to $167,976 in 2021 and the threshold for 2022 will again by $200,000 with a premium of $173,240.
• OK’d a resolution authorizing an agreement for Southern Rapid Care to provide physicals for city firefighters.
• OK’d a resolution authorizing to a parcel of land at 25930 Bonita Ave. from Donald R. Lyons, Jr., and Starla Paul for $220,000. It abuts four other lots the city owns at the intersection of State Route 161 and Bonita Avenue. The city announced at the Oct. 5 council meetings it has an agreement with South Baldwin Regional Medical Center to build an 11,000 medical building with an imaging center and doctors’ offices.
• OK’d a resolution authorizing an agreement with CSpire to connect fiber to the Wildlife Center on the northwest corner of the recreation complex on Canal Road. A new Wildlife Center and Trail Barn is planned for Powerline Road but it has been delayed due to lack of materials and a backlog of work by potential contractors.
• OK’d a resolution awarding Officer Brock Palmer his duty weapon and badge as part of his retirement benefits.
• Approved the sale of the Orange Beach Medical Arts Building on the northwest corner of the intersection of State Route 161 and Bonita Avenue. It is being purchased by Southern Rapid Care the city’s medical provider. The council suspended the rules to consider this sale and passed it on a 6-0 vote.
During the work session, the council discussed:
• A resolution authorizing a contract with J. F. Morris Performance for theater performance direction and choreography for “Thoroughly Modern Millie” for $15,250, plus pre-approved expense. The production is expected to be part of the spring season at the Performing Arts Center. Performances are scheduled for Feb. 4-6 and Feb. 11-13.
• A resolution authorizing electrical changes at the Performing Arts Center in an amount not to exceed $27,318 including a power upgrade on the stage to run digital boards.
• A resolution authorizing a contract with the Coastal Ballet Company for The Nutcracker at the Performing Arts Center. The play will be on Dec. 2, 2022, at 6 p.m., Dec. 3, 2022, at 2 p.m., Dec. 1, 2023 at 6 p.m. and Dec. 2, 2023 at 2 p.m.
• A resolution awarding the proposal for Alabama Point seawall repair design.
• A resolution authorizing the execution of a Service Agreement with ThreatAdvice for IT services related to cyber security.