Board talks drainage system
By Joey Pitchford
Published in News on October 5, 2016 10:02 AM
PIKEVILLE -- The Pikeville town board tabled many of the items on their agenda at their meeting Monday night, citing the need for additional information and more precise legal language in a few of the town's ordinances.
Among the items pushed to the next meeting was a public hearing on a proposed amendment to chapter 94 of the town's ordinances, which concerns cut grass and what must be done with it after it has been cut. The board brought up concerns about cut grass being left in the street, where it is swept up during heavy rain and eventually creates clogging problems in the town's drainage system. While the current ordinance does prohibit "the uncontrolled growth of weeds or turf grass to a height in excess of 12 inches," it does not expressly identify what citizens must do with the grass after it is cut.
State law prohibits cut grass or other debris to exist on state-maintained roads, but this does not apply to roads under the supervision of individual towns.
The board ultimately decided to discuss the issue further at their next meeting.
The November meeting will also encompass a public hearing on chapter 71 of the code of ordinances, which deals with golf cart usage on the streets of Pikeville. Pikeville police chief Craig Edwins asked the board to discuss the matter due to the what he said were relatively lenient requirements for operating a golf cart in the town; one must be 16 years of age and possess a photo identification proving their age. Edwins asked the board to amend the ordinance to require a valid driver's license, as well as giving police the authority to hold parents accountable if their children violate golf cart regulations.
Currently, Pikeville has no rule allowing the town to handle violations of golf cart ordinances on its own, instead declaring those as misdemeanor offenses. This means that golf cart violations would need to be handled in the juvenile court system, which Edwins said was "unheard of" and unlikely to even be considered.
The public hearing for the golf cart amendments is set for the next board meeting on Nov. 7.