HOPE — Hope Town Council members approved the first reading of a resolution that would allow county residents outside the town limits to register their utility task vehicles to be allowed to drive them on town streets.
A utility task vehicle features side-by-side seating for two to six passengers, a roll cage, a steering wheel and foot pedals. They are also referred to as a “side-by-side.”
The resolution was approved Tuesday night in a 5-0 vote. The council is scheduled for a final vote on the resolution at its next meeting in November.
This resolution was to go along with the Bartholomew County commissioners permitting certain UTVs to operate on county roads and allow golf carts on streets in residential county subdivisions beginning in August.
The county’s ordinance states that UTVs of a specific type can be used on county roads within unincorporated Bartholomew County, and allows the operation of golf carts on internal neighborhood roads within unincorporated Bartholomew County. The ordinance would not apply to state highways in the county or city streets in Columbus.
Before making this resolution, the town had a policy in place that only residents of Hope could register their UTVs and golf carts to be allowed on town streets. Those who lived outside of Hope were unable to register UTVs for use in Hope.
“We’re allowing people from outside town to be able to register UTVs in Hope so they can drive from the rural areas into Hope and do what they need to with them,” said Matthew Tallent, Hope’s town marshal.
This resolution does not include ATVs or three-wheeled vehicles that have a handlebar instead of a steering wheel.
Those interested in registering UTVs in Hope must go to the Hope Police Department, 711 Harrison St., Hope, and complete a registration form. The police will then inspect the vehicle to ensure it meets the criteria for driving in town. If passed, the owner will get a registration sticker for the UTV.
The cost to register a UTV is $35 with a $15 renewal fee yearly. People can also register golf carts at the police station for $25 with a $10 renewal fee each year. Golf carts cannot be driven on county roads because the county ordinance does not allow it.
“We’ve gotten a lot of calls from people that want to be able to drive to town to go to Dollar General or to come to their kids’ baseball or basketball games,” Tallent said. “Hopefully, we can get this opened up where they can register their UTVs in town and they’ll be fine.”
All recreational off-road vehicles and UTVs authorized to operate within unincorporated Bartholomew County via the county ordinance must meet the following minimum state standards outlined by Indiana Code, that a given recreational off-road vehicle:
- Is 80 inches or less in width when measured from outside of tire rim to outside of tire rim
- Has a dry weight of 3,500 pounds or less
- Is designed for travel on at least four non-highway or off-highway tires
- Is designed for recreational use by one or more individuals
All recreational off-highway vehicles must also meet the following requirements added by the commissioners, that they:
- Be larger than 50 inches, but less than 80 inches in width when measured from outside of tire rim to outside of tire rim
- Have a dry weight of no more than 2,500 pounds
- Shall be required to ride single file and not side by side
- Be designed for travel on at least four non-highway or off-highway tires
- Have the ability to operate at 35 miles per hour or greater to keep up with traffic
- Golf carts, UTVs and recreational off-highway vehicles must have insurance as well.
