Panama City commissioners on May 13 conducted the first reading of Ordinance 32-65, a proposal to amend city code to expand designated “golf cart friendly” neighborhoods and to require child safety restraints for children 5 years of age or younger.
The ordinance as proposed would add the Candlewick, Glenwood, Forest Park, Lake Huntington, Liberty subdivision and Downtown North areas to the city’s existing golf-cart-friendly zones and would require small children to be properly restrained in carts. The first reading does not adopt the ordinance; commission members reserved final action for a second reading.
The proposal came from staff and the police chief, who reviewed street speed, traffic volume and character in the named neighborhoods and determined the residential streets cited meet the factors for safe golf-cart operation under Florida law. Michael Fuller, director of development services, told commissioners staff would seek permission from the Florida Department of Transportation before allowing golf carts to cross state-maintained roads such as U.S. 98 and Business 98; crossing FDOT roadways requires a separate traffic study and FDOT approval.
Commission discussion addressed public confusion about where carts may cross and whether street-legal (low-speed) vehicles have different rights. City staff clarified that “street-legal” or low-speed vehicles that meet state vehicle-equipment requirements may traverse roads under 35 mph statewide; the city-designated golf-cart neighborhoods provide a local exemption for non–street-legal carts within the designated areas but do not authorize crossing FDOT-maintained roads without FDOT approval.
Police feedback prompted the draft amendment adding a child-restraint requirement. Staff said the chief reported small children have sometimes been carried on laps in golf carts; the redlined ordinance distributed at the meeting would require child safety restraints for children 5 and younger, consistent with state law. Staff indicated initial enforcement would be educational and that the police department would prioritize outreach before citations.
Public comment at the hearing included a request that the commission require signs at approved crossing points; staff replied they would coordinate signage and markings through the city’s sign shop and logistics team if the ordinance is adopted.
The ordinance is scheduled for a second reading at the next meeting; staff will return with FDOT responses about crossing permissions and a corrected neighborhood map. No final vote was taken on May 13.
Ending: If the commission adopts the ordinance at second reading, staff said it will coordinate a public-education push and install signage to help residents and drivers understand where golf carts may operate or cross.